Sayonara
by Mournful Storms
Summary: Years before Naruto was born, a team of three left to pursue their dreams. They return, a decade later, only to hear...another war has begun. And it holds promises of terror unlike anything seen before. OC centric. On Hiatus
1. Daisuki, Suki

_Scream at me all you like for abandoning other stories and stuff and then starting a new one...but I'm not making an epic out of this one. It won't have fifty chapters, but hopefully it'll be a good read. It's focused around the OC's, so there are not really any pairings at all in this story aside from some implied bits...well, not outside the OCs. _

**Warning: Spoiler about the 4th Hokage's name **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Koshimoto does. I also do not own anything else you may recognize as someone else's.** (Just in case ;P) 

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** Fifteen years ago**

"Heh, you guys should really stop that." Looking at them with bright eyes, a sensei watched his chuunin mess with each other.

"Stop what?" said one curiously as he tugged the long hair of his teammate.

"Mm, it's not as if Suki-chan doesn't like what we're doing." The last one agreed as he held her from behind. "Well, _I'm_ only hugging her."

"Stop it, you guys." She snapped, tugging fruitlessly at their arms. "My hair…I just managed to grow it the way I wanted it."

"Aw, Suki!" The boy behind her hugged Suki tighter. "But…but you're my friend!"

"Doesn't look that way." She wiggled out of his arms and pried the other boy's fingers open. "If you liked me, Daisuke, you wouldn't torture me like that."

"Yes, he would."

"Shut it, Taichi." Daisuke snapped, running a hand through his messy hair as it fell into his eyes again.

"Aw, Daisuke, don't be mean." Taichi looked hurt, clutching his chest near his heart. "It makes me sad."

"Like we care." Suki scoffed. "You're nothing but mean to us."

Taichi replied by tugging her hair again.

"Don't do it." Their sensei warned the boys again. "Really…I know a lot of other boys who suffered the same fate you will soon."

"What is it?" said Daisuke, as his fingers hovered, motionless, an inch away from Suki's hand. "Actually, do I want to know? It was painful last time I asked…"

"You don't." said their sensei cheerfully. "But you'll see when Suki demonstrates on Taichi."

"That's…it." Suki brushed his hand away effortlessly. "I'm tired of you guys doing this…so I'm going to stop making an effort to stay awake."

"NO! Suki-koi…" Daisuke whined. "But you're so much more enthusiastic when you're not sleeping!"

"If you stop calling me Suki-koi…then I'll consider that offer for ramen."

"Stop forever?"

"At least…for today." Suki sighed. "It's so difficult to be mad at you when you're so cute."

Daisuke's cheeks were stained slightly red. "Ano…sorry, Suki-chan. We'll go tonight?"

"Sure, maybe we'll see someone there." She said carelessly. "It's be fun!" Suki was unaware of the effect she had on her teammate as his blush deepened slightly.

"Only…one thing."

"What is it?" He payed rapt attention to her next words.

"Show me the real you…and stay that way."

Everything became very tense all of a sudden as Daisuke froze. He opened his mouth, then closed it. There was a long pause before he opened it again and forced sound to come out.

"Okay."

Suki smiled. "I'll be more than happy to go on a…date…with you if you behave and keep your promise."

Daisuke smiled, subdued. "Okay then."

"This is great and all," Their sensei interrupted. "But I have a mission for you, and I want Daisuke to be as he was before for this as he and Suki were requested specifically."

"What about me?" said Taichi.

"What about him?" asked Daisuke and Suki. Suki winked as Daisuke snickered.

"You, Taichi…will play this girl's boyfriend."

"WHAT? Who is it?" said Taichi, obviously unhappy. He shivered, thinking about some strange girl pretending to be in love with him.

"Um…I don't know the details." Said their Sensei. "But I'll meet you guys tomorrow before dawn so we can see the sun rise."

"Ugh…" Suki sighed. "I'm not a morning person, Sensei…I'll be robotic!"

"That's okay." Sensei said absentmindedly. "It doesn't matter to me what you're like…all that matters is that we see it together."

--------

**Fifteen Years Ago  
A short while later…**

"You know, sometimes Sensei is really poetic and thoughtful, and sometimes…" Suki sighed.

"You just want to rip his bloody head off, don't you?" Daisuke agreed. "I feel like that a lot…when he teaches me new techniques."

"What new techniques?" Taichi smirked. "I'm the one learning from him."

"Yeah, well…" Suki frowned at him. "You weren't chosen by Tsudon for training…far away." She sighed. "I'll miss you, but it'll be a lot less trouble for me."

"I won't miss you." He sighed. "Sometimes you're such a burden." Taichi snickered, hiding the hurt in his voice.

"Yeah, bonehead?" Daisuke threatened him. "I dare you to say that again!"

"Stop, you two!" Suki laughed. "Honestly…but I feel really confused right now. I don't know why, I mean I have a perfectly clear idea of what we're doing. I just…I don't know."

"I know what you mean." Said Daisuke. "We've only known each other for a few months, but during that time we haven't been separated from each other at all."

"It'll be a change, that's for sure." Said Taichi, refraining from making a snide remark. "But everything will work out in the end."

"After all, we're still a team!" Suki grinned. "Before we leave, I'll have something for both of you!"

Taichi suddenly looked thoughtful. "Really?"

They split up and went their separate ways.

--

"Man…tonight is really quiet." Daisuke whispered to himself, crouched on his windowsill. "I wonder if they noticed I was gone all day?"

"They didn't." A voice behind him said. Daisuke jumped, as he saw his temporary roommate. "They never will," the boy continued. " 'Coz they kicked the bucket. That is, they died."

"When?" Daisuke murmured. "And who did it? Who finally snapped?" his voice grew in volume a bit with each word.

"Um…" The boy leaned lazily against the door. "I dunno."

"What? What do you mean, you don't know?"

"I'm sayin', I dunno who it was that snapped and killed the lot of 'em." The boy yawned. "I don't really care, neither. So long as they're dead. And they are, dead as a doorknob, the two of 'em."

"That's fine with me too." Daisuke muttered. "But who's in charge now?"

"That one prick, Kintara, he's runnin' the place now. I dunno why he'd wanna be in charge of a dump like this joint, but he seems all pleased with himself." The boy yawned. "He's off his rocker, he is."

"Yeah…" Daisuke ran a finger along the windowsill, wincing in disgust as it came away thick and layered in dust and grime. "This is a mess."

"Well, s'not like I gots anywhere else to go." The boy shrugged. "All any o' us can do is sit here and wait for someone to find the lot of us."

Daisuke shivered. "Who's he going to force to sleep on the beds?"

"I heard he's got it in for you, he does. You're prolly gonna be the one to sleep in those things. You'll get eaten 'live by the bedbugs, you will." The boy cackled. "I slept in there once. It's murder, it is. 'Specially with the food they give you, all filled with sugar so's you get bitten more."

"I didn't eat any of that slop anyway." Said Daisuke. "Thank god for Sensei, he fed us a lot when we trained hard."

"Must be nice to be a real good ninja, innit?" said the boy. "I went, and I became a ninja too. Didn't last long. The life's too excitin' for my likes. I like a good place to stay, I do. Not like this place is anythin' like what I want."

"It's alright." Said Daisuke casually. "There are some people that I think of…less than others."

"Oh, those kinds." The boy chuckled. "You'll be sure to find lots o' those in 'ere, you will."

"You know," said Daisuke. He paused for a heavy minute. "After this mission, I have a feeling we won't be coming back at all."

"S'Alright, innit? We'll meet each other when we 'ave to. 'Till then…" The boy grinned. "Don't die on me, okay?"

"Sure," said Daisuke, grinning as they stood side by side to wait for dawn. "Anything you want, Inochi."

--

"It's cold." Suki shivered slightly. "I better go further in." Suki burrowed her way further into the trunk of the tree she was stretched out across. The branch was thick and wide, and Suki spent most nights in it.

"At least the leaves are thick." She tried to hide from the rain that began to fall. "I won't get soaked no matter what." She shivered and began to search for her few belongings. "I should pack, right? Might as well take whatever I have with me right now."

She stuffed in everything near her, and then stuck her hand inside the tree trunk. Carefully, she pulled out a plastic bag with a few coins and a few bills in it. Grabbing a little more than half of the money, she stuffed it in her pack. "All set!"

Suki sighed. "I'll last. It's tough, but I'll last. It's what he would've wanted, right?" Her eyes hardened. "She wouldn't have given a crap, though. I don't care what people say about her or me…I'll never become anything like my mother. Ever."

Settling in to wait for the sun to rise, Suki made herself comfortable and stretched out on the branch for the long night.

--

"What the hell am I doing here?" Taichi sighed. He looked at the small lean-to he had near a dirty restaurant. "It's not like I'm going to get anything."

"Like hell we'd give you any of the restaurant food, kid." The cook grinned at Taichi, and he could smell the liquor on that cook's breath. Taichi shivered in disgust as the grimy cook leaned closer.

"All you'd get is what the new cooks make."

Taichi shivered. At that particular restaurant, getting the new kid's food was the worst punishment ever. It was like receiving poison.

"No thanks," he said coolly. "I'll go find somewhere else with better food." Ignoring the cook's spluttered, outraged insults, he packed up and moved to a restaurant a few blocks away.

"This sucks." He sighed. "It's the third time in one week that I had to move." He looked in the garbage cans. There was a totally uneaten hamburger right at the top, and a package of instant ramen with the seal broken but the food intact.

"Gold." He stuffed the hamburger in his mouth, devouring it within seconds. As he licked his fingers, the cook came out. He saw the thin boy sitting on the floor, and sighed. Quietly, he closed the door.

"Whatever." Taichi muttered. "I don't care anyway. I'll starve to death before I beg them for food."

A few minutes later, another cook came out with some hot water. He placed it beside Taichi and ran back inside. Taichi could feel their eyes on him as he debated whether to accept their offering.

"If I don't, I'll starve. I hate this!" he growled, taking the water to mix with his ramen. "I hate having to beg, having to scavenge, I hate it all!"

He waited for the cooks to leave before setting up and lying down under his shelter as the rain began to fall. "But I don't want to stay in one of their stupid houses either. It's better to move around. I don't need them or their crap."

Slowly, Taichi's eyes began to flutter as the night dragged on.

--

"Holy crap…" Suki sighed as she scanned the mission scroll. "This will be freaking difficult."

"Really?" Taichi snatched the paper from her and began to read it. "This is bullshit. As if they're going to give us a mission of this rank."

"I've trained you guys, haven't I?" Their Sensei sighed. "How troublesome, you don't even believe in me."

"Definitely not!" said Daisuke with Suki right behind him.

"Have a little faith."

"I have none left." Suki sniffed. "Not after all you've put us through…"

"Oi…" Taichi frowned. "Can we get on with it? The sooner we start, the better chance we have of finishing alive."

"That's comforting." Suki sighed. "Just…go away." She turned her back. "I didn't have a good night."

"Neither did I." Daisuke confessed. "I was up all night with the bedbugs."

"You have bedbugs?" Suki laughed. "I hate them. I don't have any, though. I have bed termites, and beetles, and all sorts of creepy crawlies." She shuddered. "I _hate_ bugs."

"I'm not fond of them." Said Daisuke. "But you know-"

Whatever." Said Taichi impatiently. "Let's just get going, okay?"

"Sure." Said their Sensei. "We better."

"Ne, what's going to happen?" Suki asked. "I heard that relationships between us and…Hidden Cloud, right? It's worsening."

Their Sensei's eyes were serious. "It is. We may end it all in war."

"Shinobi wars never finish." Taichi declared. "This will continue forever, if it starts."

"It will continue for some time." Sensei agreed. "But what can we do? We are Shinobi. What are Shinobi?"

"Tools of war." Answered Daisuke immediately.

"Puppets, to do work for others." Taichi followed up with a sneer.

"Things without emotions." Said Suki carelessly. "But I could care less what we are, so long as we get the job done and get paid! Oh, lovely money, how I have so little of thee…"

Suki went into a mini-daydream about money as Taichi slapped his forehead. "Not again…"

"Ok, ok." Sensei waved his hands hastily. "Let's not get angry here. We better get going, at any rate."

The four of them began walking out of the village.

"What do you mean, you're going to leave?" Suki yelled angrily. "What the hell? How are we going to do this?"

"Didn't I tell you to have some faith in me? I have a separate mission…" Sensei rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Just finish the mission alive, because we can't afford to send you to the hospital."

"That's nice of you." Taichi snapped. "Just what do you have to do, anyway?"

"I have to go…oops, classified information." He winked. "I'll tell you guys later, maybe. Suki's in charge. Ja!" He leapt off, leaving the three teammates dumbfounded in the middle of the road.

"Why am I in charge?" Suki called after him, her voice echoing slightly. She heaved a sigh. "Guys…let's just not fight and get back quickly so I can get my money."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Taichi grinned. "I don't care what we do. I just want to see this mission over with."

"I'll do whatever Suki says." Daisuke winked. "I'm sure you make a good leader, Suki-chan."

Suki shivered. "I thought that during Academy lessons the Okita-sensei said I'd make the worst leader in the class?"

"Don't think about that now." Said Daisuke hastily. Taichi nodded.

"Isaki-sensei put you in charge for a reason."

--

**Present day**

Suki shivered, as sobs racked her body. "Why…why is this happening?"

"Bear with it a little more, Iwasaki Sukiko. You'll be better off in the end." A deep voice murmured close to her ear. "Just keep remembering, and keep your mind off the pain."

"I-Itai…"

--

**Thirteen years ago**

"NO, DAISUKE!" Suki's eyes were wide open in horror. "Don't do this for my sake!"

"Gomen ne, Suki-chan…" Daisuke's eyes fluttered. "But I told you right from the start I wouldn't let anyone hurt you." Dark liquid dripped from his fingertips. "I guess we'll count this one as a mission gone wrong, huh?" He chuckled weakly, before bursting into a fit of coughing.

The man in front of him smirked. "What an idiot." He yanked, and his sword slid out of Daisuke's gut. "She might have prevented this…and the success of the mission is all that matters anyway."

"You're wrong!" Suki cried, tears sliding down her face. "He is my _nakama_! I would die for him, as he is dying for me!"

She gently brushed her fingers across Daisuke's face. "I…shouldn't have let this happen." She carelessly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know I wasn't supposed to attempt this yet…but it's the only way, right?" Suki placed her hands above Daisuke's stomach.

"S-Suki-chan…" Daisuke muttered quietly. "Stop…You'll be too tired to fight."

"I don't care!" She said fiercely. "I don't care, because if you die it won't matter to me if I die too! But if you live, I'll die knowing I saved your life!"

Daisuke closed his eyes and said no more, as a tiny smile flitted across his lips. _If you say so, Suki._

"Oi, I leave you alone for one minute and this happens?" Taichi called out. "You guys suck!" He ran up and covered Suki's back, fending off the few enemies that followed him. "I knew Isaki-sensei was stupid to put you in charge and give us such a mission!" He pushed his kunai into the face of the man in front of him. "Ugh…how long will it take?"

"I don't know…this is my first time." Said Suki worriedly. "I estimate another few seconds and he can get up and we'll make a run for it!"

"Would the mission be completed?"

"It's fine, isn't it? We got the scroll. We got the key. We got the staff. All we didn't do is kill all of them."

"Then I'll do it." Taichi grinned, closing his eyes. Effortlessly, he took out five of the men around them. "This is terrible. I can't believe we were nearly overpowered by these morons."

"Strength in numbers, right?" Daisuke groaned, sitting up. "Thanks, Suki. We better make it alive or Tsudon can't take us!"

They left in a hurry, leaving behind no trace aside from the slaughtered men and broken, smoking building.  
–

"That so nearly went wrong…" Suki muttered, pulling Daisuke into a hug and burying her face in his chest. "I was terrified."

Daisuke blushed, hugging her back a little hesitantly. "It's alright, Suki-chan. We all made it out alive."

She looked up, tears in her eyes. "I heard of Kakashi's mission. I heard what happened!"

Daisuke's eyes went wide. "How did you hear?"

"You hid it from me, didn't you!? I heard from Minato-sensei himself!" Suki cried, hot tears spilling out of her eyes.

"It's okay, Suki." Daisuke repeated, a little more confidently. "If you don't want me to, I won't let myself die."

"Good," She sniffed. "Because I wouldn't forgive you if you did."

"Hate to interrupt." Said Taichi, "But I've got news. Isaki still isn't back. And we're being promoted, for emergency reasons."

"We are?" said Suki curiously. "I wanted to be promoted. This makes us ANBU, right?"

"Wrong." Said Taichi. "We're special ANBU corps. And you're a Squad leader…our squad leader. There's more. You will have the most dangerous missions…and be privy to all of Minato-sensei's information."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. He's become the Hokage."

"That's gr-WHAT?" Suki stared. "So I'm privy to all of the Fourth Hokage's information?"

"Aa." Taichi grinned lazily. "That's great for you. Che. I'm stuck with this moron following you. What a great job!"

"Shut it, Taichi. We've only got a little time. We better hurry and end this war!"

--

**Present day  
**

"Are you okay?" The voice was in her head again, as Suki struggled to get up. She lurched to the side and threw up in a corner of the dark, rank-smelling cave.

"No, I'm feeling great." She said sarcastically, wiping the bile from her mouth. "What do you think, dipshit?"

"That's a new name." Said the voice curiously, as a body stepped out to match with it. "When did you come up with it?"

"When I was so overcome by pain all I could do was think of a new name to call you."

The handsome man laughed, running a hand through jet-black hair. "That's great." His eyes glittered. "But now you should be getting back." His lips twisted into a slight pout. "Although it's still unfair that you get amazing new skills and all I get is a repeat on advanced things!"

"Advanced is good." Said Suki, wobbling unsteadily. "This is not good. Help me, Daisuke."

The man in question snickered. "I think you can make it out on your own."

"Help me or I swear to Kami-sama I'll make it so that you'll never be able to have children!"

"That would only hinder you, right Hime-sama?"

Suki ground her teeth in frustration, pushing her aching muscles to the limit as she staggered out of the cave, the jutting rocks cutting sharply into her bleeding, raw feet. "I hate you so much right now." She laughed hollowly. "If that's how you want to play, maybe I'll take up Kakashi on that offer for ramen once we get back." _Take that!_

Daisuke's eyes widened. "No way! In any case, it's been _years_ since he asked you. It's not like he remembers."

"He remembered enough to buy me a birthday present every year."

"So did I! And my presents were much better than his."

"Your presents were like dates. I liked non-committal gifts better, and I still do. Flowers are nicer than dinner!" said Suki stubbornly. "At any rate…I can't get down this mountain and you know it."

"You know what, neither can I." Said Daisuke, showing her shallow gauges on his arms and a deep cut in his stomach. "It was all I could do to prevent you from wrecking the cave and burying us in there."

"I-I…did that?" Suki's eyes widened. Then he face slowly stretched into a wide grin. "HA! Let's see the old man cope with me now!"

"He'll surely pay you for your mastery, O-Hime-san." Daisuke bowed.

"YES! YES! I'll leave rich! After all this time, he'll pay me and I'll get the beautiful money I've been deprived of for so long!" Suki cackled. "I'm all set!" _My life will be perfect!_

Daisuke slapped his head. "We'll see Taichi again too, right?"

"Yeah, and Kakashi, and Gai…" Suki shivered. "But he's dressed in the color of money!"

"All you think about is money, isn't it??"

"YES! MONEY MONEY MONEY!" Suki laughed in his face, before gasping and doubling over. "I'm not calling for Tsudon-sensei or I'll fail!" She sighed. "Get over here, Daisuke."

"Not again…you'll faint."

"Then you'll carry me down and we'll be alright." Suki gritted her teeth and began to heal Daisuke's wounds.

--

"HA! Old fart…we made it down." Daisuke laughed. "And we didn't call for your help."

Suki teetered on her feet, before falling in a large explosion of wind.

The few wispy hairs on the old man's head waved in the wind as his mouth opened in a small 'o'. _They made it down? I though I got rid of the two for good!_

"NEVER!" He suddenly exploded in fury. "I'll never let you go after that abysmal performance! You'll repeat everything, and I won't pay you!"

Suddenly, Suki sat up. Her eyes sparked evilly and her face was shadowed as her teeth were bared in a feral snarl.

"You did _not_ just say you wouldn't pay me."

"Bring it on, small fry!"

"Pint-sized old man!"

"Tadpole!"

"Annoyance!" Suki lunged at him, and Tsudon whacked her smartly on the head. Suki slid to the ground, silvery eyes wide open and stunned. "No…money…" _It's all over!_

"She's going through withdrawal!" said Daisuke. "Have mercy! Suki can't live without money, and since she's gotten here she had none at all!"

"Well, okay, I'll let you go back. Let's see how you survive in the real world."

"I'll survive better than out here with your _chickens_ and _puppies_." Daisuke snarled angrily. "Do you know how much trouble you caused me by saying all that crap when we got here?"

"You should have known chickens and puppies don't live on top of mountains!"

"You could have said what they are!" Daisuke roared angrily. "I'll go back and tell everyone what a liar you are!" _You'll never get another student in your life!_

"That's a good boy." The old man roared with laughter. "Be sure to visit again sometime soon with all your friends."

With that, he pushed the two off the cliff.

"DAMN YOU, OLD MAN TSUDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!"

Tsudon laughed heartily, before walking back up the mountain path. "What a good trickster I am…" _She better kick his ass for every day he caused me trouble!_

--

"Holy crap…" Suki groaned. "That was one hell of a fall."

"Yeah," Daisuke groaned. "If it wasn't for you, we would've been goners for sure."

The two of them were suspended in mid-air, walking a few inches above the surface of an angry river.

"This sucks. It's going to take ages to get back to Konoha."

"Yeah. I wonder what happened during that time?"

"I saw some of it." Said Suki. "When I visited. The village isn't ruined…but at least they have a new Hokage. The old man is…dead..."

"Jeez! Are you serious?" Daisuke sighed, face downcast. "He was so…old…"

"Not as old as Tsudon-sensei!" Suki laughed. Then her face sobered up. "I can't believe he pushed us off the cliff with no provisions, money or anything!" _Mainly without my money!_

"Yeah, well, it's what he'd do." Daisuke sighed. "Wait…Kakashi will be twenty…six, I believe?"

(That's his age in the first part of Naruto, right?)

"Yeah." Said Suki. "He'll be twenty-six. Only three years younger than me!"

"Three years is a pretty big difference."

"You're just jealous." Suki stuck her tongue out."

"Damn straight I am." Said Daisuke. He suddenly came to a halt, eyes wide as Suki turned around slowly. _Did…I…just…say that…aloud?_

"W-What?" Suki's pale eyes shimmered in the bright sunlight.

"I might as well say it…" said Daisuke. "I thought it was obvious all along, since we first met. I've been talking to you all this time and you brushed it off as a joke every time I gave you gifts, or asked you out. You got angry at me every time I called you 'Suki-koi." But the truth is…" Daisuke moved closer to her, his face almost touching hers.

"Daisuki, Suki." He pressed his lips to hers.


	2. Old Friends

_I wanted to try out doing different points of view, and different stuff like that. Also, it's a bit of a different style and the chapters are longer! Hurrah! This chapter. though, isn't my best. It's...okay...I guess it's necessary, 'kay? Bear with me and wait another few days for the next chapter._

**Spoilers: ...None?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Koshimoto does. I also do not own anything else you may recognize as someone else's.** (Just in case ;P)

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Suki's eyes widened, as Daisuke kissed her. _Why…why now? _

Her eyes slowly fluttered closed, and she pulled away slowly. "I'm…not ready for this, Daisuke."

His eyes registered hurt and disappointment. "I've been waiting for years, Suki. When will you be ready?"

"I don't know." She looked down at her feet, wondering if she'd lose her friend.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle pressure on her shoulder, then a warm body pressed against hers. "I'll wait as long as you like, Suki." Daisuke whispered into her ear, hugging Suki tightly.

"Thanks."

--

"Did you hear?" A man said excitedly to his friend. "Iwasaki's back, and Kazunari's with her!"

"What, really? She's back? Man, I'm so relieved! I wondered if the two would ever come back!"

"Wonder if Sentou will still be pissed at Kazunari…their arguments were so much fun to watch."

"Yeah, well, I want to know if Iwasaki's finally dating Kazunari!"

"Maybe Sentou's stronger than them? I don't know who taught the two of them, but I heard he was mega-strong!"

"So was Sentou-san's sensei! I hear he's a master of the Katana now….he's probably stronger than the two of them!"

The whole village was abuzz as Daisuke and Suki entered silently. Suddenly, Suki's body convulsed in silent laughter.

"What is it?" Daisuke asked her curiously.

"They don't even recognize us." Said Suki. "Although I don't think I changed that much…"

"You changed a lot." Said Daisuke, looking down at her fondly. "But you don't notice it yourself."

"Let's get a good night's rest before letting them know we're back." Suki suggested. "I'm tired…"

She leaned against Daisuke. "We could go back to our place. I'm sure there are still two beds there."

As the walked into the dusty old house, Suki's eyes widened. There was only a double bed.

"But…I was sure there were two beds…" She racked her brains for another idea. "No couch…no one could possibly sleep on the floor…shit!"

"It's okay…" said Daisuke. "We can share. You trust me, right?"

Suki looked into his gentle, green eyes. Her own softened. "Yeah. It doesn't matter, we'll get another bed tomorrow."

As they slid into the thick bed, Suki glanced sideways at Daisuke, who was watching her out of the corner of his eye. "Daisuke…if we end up in a strange position…promise you will never speak of it again?"

Daisuke chuckled. "Promise." _I can't remember how many times that happened before when we were smaller and in similar situations…It doesn't matter anymore, Suki._

"Night…" She yawned, covering her mouth with a shaking hard.

"Night, Suki-chan." Daisuke whispered, letting his head sink into the pillow.

--

**Dream: Ten years ago**

"I guess this is goodbye." Said Suki, eyes half-closed in a gentle smile. "It won't be for too long, right?"

"We'll see each other again." Said Taichi, smirking. "And I'll be much stronger."

"I hope so." Said Suki. They were standing by Isaki's name on the obelisk stating the names of the deceased in battle. She knelt down and pressed a seed into the ground. "Isaki-sensei, take care of this flower or I'll murder you again! It's the only of its kind I could find."

"What kind is it?" Daisuke asked.

"It's a Moonflower…and it's tough to find anywhere, but Sensei deserves the best." Suki smiled.

"For you, Daisuke." Taichi shoved something roughly into Daisuke's hand.

Daisuke peeked at it and burst out laughing. "Thanks!"

"What is it? Let me see!" Suki tried to see what was in Daisuke's hand. Finally, Daisuke uncurled his fingers, revealing a scrap of dirty paper.

"What is it?" Suki asked, burning with curiosity.

"It's that same paper I tried to sneak from Isaki-sensei…and when I got my head slammed into the ground, remember?"

"What's written on it?"

"_Aha, you must really suck for it to have taken so long to get the paper._" Taichi read aloud, smirking.

"Wha-HEY!" said Daisuke. "Stupid Isaki-sensei, he knew this would happen!"

Suki laughed. Daisuke sighed and handed Taichi a kunai with their names engraved on it. "For when your Katana fails you."

"As if it ever will. But thanks." Said Taichi.

Daisuke placed a flower by Isaki's name, as did Taichi. Daisuke had placed a yellow rose, as Taichi laid down a bunch of forget-me-nots.

"Time for my present." Said Suki brightly. She dug around in her pocket, before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "Here!"

Taichi smoothed out the paper carefully, and saw a picture of the three of them with Isaki. It was the time they had caught him by surprised and he had fallen out of his tree. Taichi was smirking, Suki was obviously holding the camera and grinning like an idiot, and Daisuke was doubled over in laughter. Isaki didn't look too pleased, but at the same time his eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Thanks." Whispered Taichi hoarsely, before leaning close to Suki. "Here's my present." He pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss before walked away casually, a tiny smile gracing his lips. "I'll see you sometime."

Suki pressed her fingers to her lips before they curved in a smile. "Yeah…"

Daisuke's eyes were wide with shock and rage, but he quickly forgot it as his eyes teared up.

Suki's eyes glittered with unshed tears as the three split into two groups and went their separate ways.

--

**Present day**

Suki's eyes opened slowly. _Taichi always did have it hardest…_

Dimly, she began to register her surroundings. The first thing that came to mind was that it was morning. Secondly, it was warm. Thirdly, she was half on top of Daisuke.

Slowly, so as not to wake him, Suki pulled away. _I hoped it wouldn't happen…damn…_ Suki had a tendency to crawl towards sources of warmth in her sleep, especially since spending time in the cold mountains.

Silently, she got out of bed, feeling the silky covers slide off her bare arms. Shivering, she went to the windowsill and hoisted herself onto it, watching the sun rise higher and shine into the room, warming her face and arms.

"Mm…" She heard Daisuke walk over to her and lean on the windowsill beside her. "It's a nice day."

"Yeah." Suki agreed, feeling a slight breeze on her hands as they dangled outside the window. Propped up on her forearms, she hunched over to look down into the streets. The people were just waking up and opening their businesses. Suddenly, she saw a bright flash of yellow streak past her. _No way…Konoha's yellow flash?_

Her eyes, trained to see things moving at high speeds, made out a small boy in an orange jumpsuit running across the rooftops. He was grinning, but at the same time looked worried. "IRUKA-SENSEI'S GONNA KILL ME! I TOLD HIM I'D RUN ERRANDS!"

"Iruka?" Daisuke repeated. "He became a teacher?"

"Probably at the academy." Suki laughed. "He loved children, right?" Her eyes wandered over to Hokage Mountain.

"What is it?" Daisuke followed her eyes. He suddenly smiled and leaned further out of the window pensively. "You know…I guess I might have gone and painted the mountain or done something stupid like that when I was twelve."

"Yeah?" Suki glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I always wanted to catch people's attention, you know that. There were a few people in particular I wanted to notice me."

"Oh? Who?"

"Taichi, Isaki-sensei, sometimes that bastard Kakashi, later on Itachi, the kids I lived with, and you…" Daisuke smiled slowly. "I remember now, I made a promise to Inochi I'd see him again sometime."

"You should go fulfill that promise." Suki grinned. "I'll be okay, and I have a few people I need to visit, namely all the people you named aside from Itachi." Her face darkened. "I have to find him sooner or later and make him pay…"

"You heard about it, huh?" Daisuke asked. "I figured it'd get to you eventually. Don't try too hard, because I need you here as my anchor."

"Your anchor to what? Reality?" Suki smirked, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'll see you later!"

Before Daisuke could strangle her, Suki jumped out of the window, landing lightly on her feet and her left hand. Then she hurried off down the street and out of sight.

Another smaller grin crept across Daisuke's face before he turned around and left the house.

**Somewhere…that's not where they were…**

"Kakashi!" Suki looked around impatiently. "I was told I could find him here. _Kakashi!_"

"I'm here, okay, pretty lady?" A hand landed softly on her shoulder. Suki whipped around to face…someone's Jounin vest. _Am I really that short? _

"Kakashi?" She stepped back to face the man, his visible eye twinkling.

"So you're back, pretty lady." Kakashi chuckled deeply, removing his hand from her shoulder. "I wondered when you'd be back."

"S-Stop calling me pretty lady." Suki stuttered slightly, amazed at how tall he had become. She composed herself quickly. "Daisuke will be mad."

"Ah, did he finally get a 'yes' out of you?"

"No." Suki scowled, remembering the kiss he had given her. "Far from it…but it seems that nothing has changed."

"Aside from me growing so much taller than you." Kakashi suddenly turned his head. "I better get going soon to go to the training grounds. I have to meet my team."

"You make me feel almost younger than yo- wait a minute, _you're_ a teacher?" Suki raised an eyebrow. "How did they manage to get you to do that? Never mind, I feel bad for the kids you're teaching!"

"I'm hurt." Kakashi put a hand on his heart. "Really. But they're okay most of the time. It's an okay balance…although one that gets on my nerves frequently."

"Anyway, if you say you better get going, you're late, right?"

"Nope." Kakashi winked. "I've got hours."

"Then it will take you seven or eight hours before you get there." Kakashi remained silent at Suki's comment. _That lazy bastard…I really do feel bad for his team._

Suki suddenly smiled. "Then allow me to make you even later. Would you like to help me find Taichi?"

"I wish I could, but it's impossible to find him. He moves around so much…I estimate he'll be by Isaki-san's grave now." Kakashi murmured.

"Okay." Suki grinned at him. "Thanks for your help. I guess I'll see you…hmm, later today?"

"Whatever you want, pretty lady." Kakashi turned around and left in a puff of smoke.

"Honestly, that man makes me want to strangle him sometimes too!"

--

"Inochi?" Daisuke looked around the dark, empty room. Everything was the same as it was when he left. The floors were dusty, and the furniture was broken and decrepit. There was a faint aura that gave the impression everyone was dead.

"Who?" Daisuke turned around to look for the owner of the voice. He faced a small child, rubbing her eyes sleepily and clutching a dirty stuffed bunny.

"Hi," Daisuke knelt down and smiled at the child. "My name is Daisuke. What's yours, little princess?"

The girl looked at him with wide eyes. "Mine's Kiko. This is Usa-chan." She held up her bunny.

"Hello, Usa-chan." Daisuke grinned at the bunny, who had an unusually sober look stitched on its face.

"Onii-sama, Are you looking for Inochi-san? He made Usa-chan for me." She smiled at him, showing Daisuke a missing tooth and a slightly dirty face.

He wiped the dirt off her face and nodded. "Yeah. Where can I find him?"

"He's over there." She pointed to a door behind her. "With everyone else…"

Daisuke smiled at her again. "Would you like to come with me to find him?" He watched, pleased, as a smile lit Kiko's face.

"Yes!"

Daisuke pushed on the door and listened as it creaked open. He could hear some voices inside, and they seemed hushed.

"Inochi?" He walked quietly into the room to find his friend staring out the window. Slowly, he turned to face Daisuke.

"Dai-chi?" A look of recognition passed over his face. He grinned. "So you managed to stay alive, eh? Good for you. I ain't doin' as well as I'd like, seeing as I'm still 'ere, but I manage."

"Has anything changed around here?" Daisuke looked around. "Everything looks the same as when I left."

"Nope, Kintara's still in charge, and we're still following 'im. S'not like we can do anything else, right? All that's different is that we got some new people in 'ere like Kiko and Riku."

A little boy with dark eyes and light hair glanced briefly at Daisuke before motioning for Kiko to join him.

"It was nice meeting you, Onii-sama." Kiko grinned up at Daisuke shyly. "You should visit again sometime."

Daisuke nodded at her, bending down and ruffling her hair. "I will, sometime."

Inochi roared with laughter. "Last time you said that to me –well, I actually told you to stay alive till we met again- you didn't come back for fifteen years!"

"Yeah, well…lives change." Daisuke sighed. "I ended up living with my teammates. It was like we were a family…" he looked down.

Suddenly a hand was on his shoulder. "And you aren't now?" Inochi asked gently. "Go find your brother, Daisuke. I bet my life he'd wanna see you now, now that you're all powerful and stuff!"

Daisuke frowned slightly. "All that's left is to get Suki to tell me if she likes me…"

"She'll come 'round, won't she? After all, who can resist your charm? You pester her so much she'll just have to get used to ya!" Inochi grinned.

Daisuke scowled. "You don't have to put it like that. I better go anyway. See you around, Inochi."

"See ya 'round, Dai-chi."

--

"Dammit, what's with all these rumors?" The dark-haired boy scowled. "They most definitely did not just come back like that…not now. I've waited too long for them." He paused, running a hand through his hair and ruining the perfect state it had been in. "I'm not making any sense. They probably aren't back." 

"Who aren't back?" A soft voice washed over him like cool water.

"I missed you, Taichi."

Taichi turned around to face a smiling Suki. "S-Suki…so you _are_ back…"

Suki grinned. "Yes, I am! So is Daisuke! Are you disappointed?"

He suddenly gave her a hug, pressing her close to him. "About Daisuke coming back? Yes, a little." He whispered in her ear. "But I'm happy you're back."

Suki was drawing a blank. Her teammates were suddenly confessing to her, and this was suspicious._ Are you really Taichi?_

For some reason, her heart was beating a little faster than normal. "T-That's good to hear. How's everything?"

Slowly, almost reluctantly, he pulled away. "Not bad. You know, there are a lot of different people here. The whole village changed. I guess it's bound to happen if you're gone even for the nine and a half years I was gone."

"So you've been here for…?"

"Actually, only two months." Taichi confessed. "I was sidetracked for a while. I thought; you know, I'll probably never get another chance to go out and see everything, so I might as well go and see what I want to before going back."

"This is weird." Suki mused aloud. "You're acting like Daisuke, right now."

"Don't compare me to that bastard." Taichi reverted to his old self, snarling at her. "Or else."

Suki clapped her hands delightedly. "Great! You're back to normal! Now let's go find him."

"You can't be serious…"

"I am." Suki deadpanned. It was the only way to withstand his glare. "Now let's go." She dragged him, pokerfaced, out of the clearing by the memorial obelisk.

--

"DA-I-SU-KE!" Suki called out. She grinned to herself as she pulled along Taichi. Her hand slowly slipped from his wrist, until she entwined her fingers with his. _Hehe, he can't get out of my grasp now! _

Taichi resigned himself to being dragged around, and thanked Kami-sama that Daisuke responded when Suki yelled for him.

"Yes, Suki-chan?" He smiled gently at her. "You called?"

"I think –even though it's our first day back- we should go to ANBU headquarters. We'll find out about the situation here, and apply to get our jobs back. Good idea, ne?" _We might get paid…_

"For once, it's not a bad idea." Said Taichi thoughtfully, gently prying his fingers from her. "Let's go."

"Yeah, good ideas as always, Suki-koi." Daisuke grinned at her.

"Will you stop acting twelve years old and stop calling me Suki-koi!" said Suki angrily. "You know I don't like it!"

"But I can't help it sometimes." He winked at her. "It's so funny to see your reaction."

"ARGH! You two are impossible! I'm going to the ANBU office before I lose my mind."

Taichi turned to Daisuke. "She didn't lose it already?"

"I am constantly amazed by her strength of will to resist us." Daisuke responded.

"…Since when did you get so intelligent?"

"Shut up, Taichi."

--

**About fifteen minutes later**

"I got sick of them and left." Suki concluded, after relating her tale to the ANBU squadron leader that she met. "But you know, you would have done the same thing!"

"I know," he chuckled. "They can be a handful. Anyway, your old squadron and the rest of us will be happy to welcome you back. Besides, about that report on the situation here?"

"Oh, Daisuke, Taichi, you've arrived." She nodded at them, temper in check. "Come here it."

Gingerly, the two entered the room and stood beside her.

"We are currently…anticipating another war." The ANBU squad leader, whose name was Tsuchiura, said.

"Are you serious? We're coming back in the middle of preparations for war?" Taichi complained. "Man, I don't want to go through another."

"Who's it with?" Daisuke clenched his fists.

"This time…it's with Iwagakure. You know our relations with Earth Country are bad, and they will soon declare war."

Suki was shaking, hands balling into fists as she broke out into a light sweat. _Not…not again…Can I handle another war?_

"We are anticipating they will strike within two months, and during this time we're sending all of the young genin and chuunin-to-be to you, Iwasaki-san, for training and mental preparation. Also, you will split them into teams and be overall commander…" slowly. Tsuchiura's voice faded. 

"The war…ready…soon…forceful…blood…steel yourself…" Slowly, Suki tuned out to her surroundings.

_The war is nothing. I can handle it. _

This is simply another test of a Shinobi.

Shinobi are tools of war. We must do the work.

Complete the mission. That's what matters.  
This was is just another mission.

"Suki?" Daisuke turned to his teammate. "Are you okay?"

She lifted her head. "Y..yeah. So, when do I start with these new kids?"

"Tomorrow." Tsuchiura looked at her seriously. "We're counting on you. In fact, you must select a small group of them to become squadron leaders and then pick the squads."

"How many are there?"

"Twelve."

"That should make for three teams, or maybe five if we have a couple of scouting teams…"

Taichi grinned. "She's getting into the flow of it."

"Of course." Daisuke smiled proudly. "It's how Suki deals."

"Get it done and enjoy yourself too."


	3. Is It Okay If I Know It's Wrong?

_This chapter is significantly longer than the last two! Well...I'm hoping you won't hate me for rushing things like this, but in MS Word the end of this chapter is the 41st page! That has to count for something. I wonder, will anyone catch the 'Suki-koi' joke early in?_

_I know, nothing really seems like a war, but bear with me because as they say, 'It's gonna get ugly sooner or later.'_

_I wonder when this will all blow up in my face?_

**Spoilers: ...None?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Koshimoto does. I also do not own anything else you may recognize as someone else's.** (Just in case ;P)

_In the previous chapter Inochi called Daisuke 'Dai-chi', but the proper word would be 'Dai-shi'. I'm sorry for not doing my research and for the incorrect honorific. It won't happen again._

**The next day**

"You guys are who I've got?" Suki sighed in distaste. "What a bunch. I'm not even getting any money out of this…"

She looked over the small assortment of new genin. "Tell me your names, and what you're good at. I have no interest in your hobbies, hopes, dreams, or anything of the sort."

She pointed to the far left. "You're oldest, right? You guys go first."

"Hyuuga Neji." The pale-eyed boy spoke in a calm, quiet voice. "I use the _Jyuuken_ style, as all Hyuuga do. I have mastered the _Hakkeshou: Rokujyuuyonshou. _And, of course, the _Byakugan._"

"Good." Suki nodded. "That's not bad for a thirteen-year-old." She smirked. "But you'll have to get a lot better."

"Rock Lee is my name!" said a boy with bowl-cut hair, and spandex. "I use the _Ganken_ style, unlike my rival Neji! I have mastered Five of the _Gates_, and the _Lotus_ and _Reverse Lotus_!"

"Wow." Suki said sarcastically. "Almost impressive. Are you, by any chance, a student or relative of Gai's?"

"Gai-sensei is my idol!" Lee smiled, his teeth sparkling.

"Yes, okay, that's enough." She said hastily. _It's not good if he's really like Gai!_

"TenTen." Said the girl in a friendly voice. "I specialize in weapons of all sorts."

"Hmm…not bad." Suki shrugged. "Not really special, but not bad."

"How troublesome…Nara Shikamaru." Said a boy with lazy eyes and his hitai-ate pinned to his sleeve. "I have an IQ of over 200. I mostly work with tactics and planning. Anything that doesn't require too much energy or effort."

"Lazy." Suki sighed. "But someone who uses tactics is useful."

"Yamanaka Ino." The blond girl beside him spoke. "I…well, as of now I don't have anything really special…aside from my _Shintenshin no Jutsu_."

"Well, then." Said Suki impatiently. "We'll have to teach you something so you'll be of some use in this war."

"Akimichi Chouji." Said the chubby boy beside her, munching on chips. "I use my family jutsu. Any of them."

"Okay, I know of your techniques. It's not too bad." Suki raised an eyebrow. _How is that team any good? The only really useful one would be Shikamaru!_

"My name's Inuzuka Kiba." The boy with a fur coat grinned. "And I work with my dog, Akamaru. He's not too big yet, but he will be!"

"Not too big, huh." _He's tiny…_Suki sighed.

"A-Ano…My name's Hyuuga H-Hinata." A shy girl beside him spoke quietly, fiddling with her jacket. "I-I use the B-_Byakugan_."

"O…Kay…" said Suki. "Then we'll make you learn something useful, too."

"Aburame Shino." Said the boy with glasses. "I use my _Kikaichuu_."

"Not much of a talker, huh? I like you and the Aburame clan." Suki nodded. "We'll have to see what you lot have got."

She turned to the last group, who was bickering quietly amongst themselves. "Are you, by any chance, Kakashi's group?"

"How did you know that?" said their female member suspiciously.

"Just a guess." Suki sighed. _Are they really that unmanageable?_

"Oh! Me first! My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and I'll be the next Hokage!" Naruto grinned. "I use the _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_ and my _Naruto Rendan_. Also, the Ero-sennin taught me the _Rasengan_!"

"No…way…" Suki's eyes widened. "He taught you…that man's technique?" Her eyes watered slightly before she blinked the tears away. _He's gone. I should stop thinking about him._ "It's an pretty good technique." _Who am I kidding…that's a great technique…_

"Uchiha Sasuke." The dark-haired boy beside him frowned. "I have the _Sharingan_, and my _Shishi Rendan_ which Naruto copied." He paused to glare at the blond. "Also, I have the _Chidori._"

"Kakashi taught you his one original jutsu?" Suki whistled. "How much did you bug him for that? He taught me after enduring my pleas for a day. Well, not really taught, more like just showed me…but I have a basic idea of what it does."

Sasuke frowned slightly. "I didn't have to beg."

"I'm Haruno Sakura!" the bubble gum pink haired girl smiled. "I don't really have any special techniques at all, but Tsunade-sama is teaching my to become a medic-nin!"

"I wouldn't want to interfere with her training, so I'll let you go right now. Tell her that Suki wants you to continue training at a faster speed."

"Okay!" Sakura looked confused, but ran off.

"Right, so we're down to eleven. I never liked the number, but that doesn't matter. I'll give you a short introduction on myself, since I've been told you all know each other pretty well."

Suki started pacing. "My name is really Iwasaki Sukiko. Call me Suki or Suki-sensei or whatever, but don't call me Sukiko." _Or Suki-koi._ "I specialize in…well, almost anything. Mainly silent attacks with whatever are on hand, which is usually my staff. I am twenty-nine, three years older than Kakashi…and I still have my teammates. Although they're busy with…different…tasks." _Please, take me with you!_ "I was told I'm the best suited teacher for you right now, so here I am. My methods will be harsh but successful, just like the teacher I learned from for ten years prior to coming back here in time for this." She paused. "Oh, and I like money." She added as an afterthought.

"What's going on?" Naruto demanded. "I don't know why we're even here!"

"You don't know the situation?" Neji glared at Naruto. "Fool."

"We're in the middle of preparations…" Suki let loose a feral grin. "…for a war."

* * *

"Oi, hurry up." Daisuke chewed on his senbon needle. _This is why Genma always has one…_ "You need to load these in five minutes or there will be consequences. We've got a lot more to store after this."

"Yes, Kazunari-san!" There was a workforce of seven people helping Daisuke load provision for the war. There was some clean water, food, and a lot of medical supplies and soldier pills.

"Why do I have such a small workforce?" he complained.

"Because everyone else is busy helping out with scouting and equipping and other jobs, and whoever was left –plus very useful people- are helping with tactics and planning. Sentou-san is on that team."

"Are you implying I'm not useful?!"

"N-No, Kazunari-san, but they needed someone to do such an important job. Being prepared may turn the war in one direction or another."

_That's right._ "We've only completed a small part of our job. Hurry UP."

* * *

"So, I was thinking, if we turn them this was and spread out that small group with ways to communicate, we'll have a very effective system…"

"Taichi-san?" A member of the Tactics team glanced curiously at him as he ignored the formations being planned. "Do you have an idea?"

"Of course I do." Taichi scoffed. "But we'll see if Hokage-sama accepts these useless formations."

"Sentou Taichi." Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage, stared at him. "Let's hear your plan. I'm looking forward to your genius planning gleaned from Suki."

"Spread out the forces thinly along the border." Taichi turned to face the outraged members of the team. "Then place many more concentrated groups in the gaps, further back. Make sure there's a point we won't allow them past. Then place two or three teams in that space to hunt down stray members. Randomly placed but well spaced, we'll place the genin teams. They will have means to communicate that will _not_ fail. Also, they will act to relay information not only to each other but to the large factions as well."

"Anything else?"

"These genin teams will be our most valuable factions aside from you and my team, Hokage-sama." Taichi looked directly into her eyes. "Because they will be trained by Suki. We must not let them die, also because they are the future of Konoha's military force."

"What about the other Genin, and Chuunin?"

"I never said the Chuunin wouldn't help the Jounin. The other Genin will be placed all around the border of Konoha. Since we don't have enough instructors to cover them –actually, to cover any of them- we'll place them in groups of varying experience. Split up the teams completely."

"That's dangerous." A team member mused.

"But effective. Superbly effective if used correctly." Another man argued. "I vote we use it. The genin are very good at what they do, respectively, and I respect Suki's decisions no matter what they turn out to be."

"I agree that the Genin are the most valuable. We should trust this formation." Said another man.

"You would say that, Iruka." Tsunade chuckled. "I think it's good."

"Besides, if anything goes wrong, Hokage-sama…" Taichi looked at her again, seriously.

"You'll have the three of us to count on and all that we have in our arsenal."

* * *

"A war?" Naruto stared.

"Yes. You're all part of an elite group of Genin who will fight bravely in this war. Actually, all the Genin will fight, but for some reason you lucky few have been chosen to be under my command. Any questions?"

"What will you be teaching us?" TenTen asked.

"I will be teaching you everything and anything you will need in the war. Your Academy training, believe it or not, does not even begin to cover what to do in case of a war. The section on wars is completely useless and you can forget it right now. I'll teach you how to communicate efficiently and how to fight effectively, how to heal wounds well enough that you can continue to fight, how to last through a very long battle, where to build a shelter and what to eat when there's really nothing edible in sight. You'll learn the weakest points of an enemy's body and psyche. You'll learn how to help your comrades, and what's really important to save. You'll learn when to retreat, and when to continue, and you'll learn who in the chain of command to follow and who you can argue with without getting killed."

The Genin (some of them) looked slightly overwhelmed. Some looked excited, and some like Neji and Shino remained neutral and composed.

"We'll meet tomorrow. Then I'll start the real lessons."

**The next day**

"What's that?" Suki stared at the squirrel in her palm. "You don't say…well, stupid Taichi! This is so much more pressure on me…and I can't believe he made us sound so amazing! I'll probably fail everyone…" Suki sunk into a deep pit of despair. "They aren't even paying me for ANY of this."

The squirrel scampered away.

"Even squirrels desert me…oh, wait, I have to go meet the Genin!" She jumped out of her tree. "Damn it!"

"You're LATE." Neji glared at her, in a patronizing way.

"Yeah, well, that's too bad." Suki sighed. "Sleeping in trees are so uncomfortable sometimes…I miss my old tree."

"You live in a tree?" Kiba stared at her.

"Only sometimes." Suki brushed the matter aside. "Anyway, I'm going to split you into groups you will never be in again, but they will be effective for the high-speed training I'll give you. Basically, I'm splitting into groups according entirely to skill."

"Group one: Neji." Neji stepped forward.

"Oh, so it's the genius group." Kiba muttered.

Suki ignored this. "Sasuke. Shino, and Shikamaru." The three joined Neji.

"Group two. Lee. Hinata, Kiba, Naruto." The four joined each other, and they were all either friendly or unfamiliar with each other.

"Group three. Ino, Chouji and TenTen. If Sakura was here, you would all be equal, but I can't teach her as well as Tsunade-sama in healing."

"I'll work with group one for now, so the other two groups can sit back and pay attention to the kind of instruction you'll receive when you get better."

* * *

"This sucks." Daisuke sighed. "I have nothing to do."

"Then go find something to do, dumbass." Taichi grit his teeth as he slowly drew a map of the large area they would cover. "Dammit, we're covering a large portion of Fire Country. Do we really have enough people for this? We still don't have as many people as we did during the last war, despite it being ten years since then."

"We'll have enough." Said Daisuke confidently. "If worst comes to worst, we'll ask Tsudon for help. He'll send a couple of apprentices."

"Then I'll ask Raike for help too. He'll send some people from his dojo. But we'll never be forced into such a situation."

"Yeah." Daisuke scoffed. "The day I ask Old Man Tsudon for help is the day I die. He pushed us off a goddamn cliff when we said goodbye!"

Taichi stared at him. "Are you a moron or something? What did you do to make him push you off a cliff?"

"We didn't do anything! He just thought it would be fun, crazy bastard…"

"It shows that Raike-sensei is much more sane than your senile old teacher."

"But Tsudon taught us many useful things." Daisuke sighed. "I miss him, really. He was crazy and annoying, but he's also an amazing teacher."

"Don't trust mountain hermits. Jiraiya was considered one at one point."

"Oh, you're right. But Tsudon is an exception."

"How come you never refer to him as Sensei?"

"That's Suki's job. I hate the old jii-san too much to respect him." Daisuke sighed. "He really pushed my buttons, you know? Like, I was yelling at him almost every single day. And he comes up with new insults every single fricking day. I swear, I got over ten thousand different insults in various languages thrown at me."

"How did you know they were different languages?" Taichi began to draw the formations into the map.

"I didn't recognize most of them."

"Ah, and you know a lot of useless insults in Japanese, then." Taichi sighed. "I don't know why you even both with it sometimes."

"It's a hobby." Daisuke stared out the window. "At least I _have_ a hobby." _Boring shitface._

"At least I don't have a worthless one." _Stupid bastard._

The two of them traded silent insults and the few people unlucky enough to walk in on them walked right back out after almost feeling the intensity of the silent argument.

"I wonder how Suki's doing right now."

* * *

"Right, Hyuuga Neji. Come at me with all you've got." Suki settled into a comfortable, low stance and held an arm out.

Neji waited for a moment, activating his _Byakugan_ and evaluating his opponent, before rushing in.

Suki anticipated his move and swiftly blocked, using her other arm to trap his.

Neji then attempted to kick her, and succeeded in freeing one of his arms. He delivered a blow to her solar plexus, being stopped inches before coming in contact with her heart.

"The intent to kill. Not bad." Suki pushed him away and began her counterattack, keeping his arms and legs so busy that Neji didn't have time to think about her strategy.

In a few minutes, he was backed against a tree and his arms and legs were pinned. Slowly, Suki stepped back, guard still up. "My, my. I was told you're the best. What happened?"

Neji snarled at her and unpinned himself in a second, his arm resting against her throat. "You were saying?"

"It's a pity that your style isn't going to stop my chakra flow." Her concentrated chakra increased to a point where everyone could feel it.

"T-That's ridiculous!" said Neji, eyes wide. "Having so much chakra…"

"And exuding it constantly like that must be like dying." Suki waved a hand in front of him. "Are you really okay?"

She moved his arm and released a kick that sent him to his knees. "Poor kid…" She chuckled. "But I hope you won't give up that easily."

The battle continued with both of them sneaking around, evaluating and planning. The attacks were tentative but well calculated.

"Suki's getting tired." Suki winked. _Well, actually I've just begun._

Slowly, she began to lag, purposely baiting Neji. He became angry and suddenly composed himself, quietly attacking her mental systems between blows.

"That's a nice tactic." Suki raised an eyebrow. "But it's not so effective if you don't know much about who you're going up against. _Loser_? _Dropout_? Can I be a loser if I was chosen for a special training few receive in their lifetimes?"

She finally ended it, moving in a blur to hit all of his few weak points. "That was fun. Almost. Next?"

* * *

"I'm _bored_, Taichi." Daisuke whined.

"And I'm not a child who misunderstands the magnitude of your boredom." Taichi replied patiently, steadily copying down instructions. _What kind of idiot do you take me for?_

"Ha, ha, very funny. What do I do?" Daisuke swung his legs on the desk, rhythmically hitting his heels against the drawers.

"You could make paper airplanes." Said Taichi, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I'm sure everyone would appreciate the wasted paper flying around."

"Shut it, Taichi. Should I go help Suki-chan out?" He pondered this, slowly sliding off the desk.

Taichi's hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve, dexterously continuing to copy down the cramped kanji. "Do _not_, under any circumstances, bother her. She'll kill you if you interrupt her peculiar teaching methods."

"Peculiar? I think they're very effective."

Taichi laughed hollowly. "Because you never stuck around to see the end of it. Suki's a demon teacher, and she scared the hell out of me when I watched her teach once. It's as if they're training for…war…" _What is she doing to the kids who are really training for war?_

"Oh shit, what's she doing to the Genin!?"

Daisuke looked out the window. "There's no screaming or explosions so far, so I'll assume she's still testing them."

Tediously, Taichi added a tiny note at the bottom of each scroll with private instructions and a signature. "Yes, well, they might all be dead too. Help me out by delivering these. The ANBU masks will help you recognize each individual. And DO NOT mess them up." He glared darkly at the shorter boy. _Those private instructions could kill the people they're not meant for!_

"Yes, sir!" Daisuke picked up the armful and ran away with them.

"Dumbass…and now I have to take note of everything going on…I don't even know _everything_ that's going on."

* * *

**Two weeks later…**

"Is everyone done?" Suki glanced around. The genin were mostly panting, staring at her hatefully. "Good! Because now, you'll sit my written exam. I do hope everyone paid attention during group classes."

"Why did this feel more like the Academy, only super-fast an difficult?" Ino muttered to TenTen.

They wearily sat down to answer the questions. Shikamaru actually completed his test before slumping down on the test. "Will I have to stay awake like this during the war? How troublesome…"

"Oi, don't worry, I have a treat for all of you after this." Suki winked. "And something extra for those who do well. Work your hardest!"

After a couple of hours, the whole eleven of them had finished.

"Finally, I'll look 'em over." Suki glanced at each paper. "Okay…yes…hm…Right. Here's who get something extra: Neji, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Shino, Hinata, Lee and Naruto."

"All of those people?" Ino glared. "Why not us?"

"To put it simply, this test was to test individual qualities. Each of your tests would end up reflecting your separate personalities." Suki sighed. "Some people just didn't cut it for what _I_ was testing you on. As you're probably wondering why Naruto's in the top group, it's not because he got anything right. It's something in his personality."

"Of course…" said Kiba. "Otherwise how could he possible be up there?"

"Hey, Kiba…" Naruto said angrily. Suki stopped him. "This is no time to be arguing. We're a quarter into our amount of time for me to shape you up. In that time, you must be proficient enough to survive a war lots of people will die in. Trust me, if you can't get through my training, the upcoming battles will have you scrambling for cover you'll be unable to find."

Suki grinned. "Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

"We're _done._" Daisuke slumped in his chair. "Finally, all of the food and supplies have been stored, and all of the messages so far have been delivered."

"Await further instructions." A masked ANBU member said. "Someone will have something to do soon. And you're our dog." The smirk was evident in his voice.

"I'm nobody's dog." Said Daisuke. "But I'll cooperate. What happened to Taichi?"

"He's waiting, too. In another week or so, you'll receive your masks again." Suddenly, the ANBU removed his mask.

"R-Ryouchi?" Daisuke stared. Then he broke into a large smile. "You're still alive."

Ryouchi laughed. "After going through missions with you guys, there's no way I'd let myself die before going on one more mission with all of us. None of Iwasaki's squad has been lost yet. It must be her-"

"-Demon training, right?" Daisuke smirked. "I've heard it lengthens life spans."

"While I went through it, honestly, I felt like it was shortening mine. Every day, I wondered if I'd die." Ryouchi smiled. "But now I'm confident I'll stay alive because of it."

"Don't get too cocky." Daisuke sighed. "We both learned a lot during those ten years."

* * *

"Damn…" Taichi leaned against the wall restlessly. "How much longer do I have to wait?"

"Not much longer." The ANBU member keeping him company also leaned against the wall listlessly. "I've been working non-stop for days. When will we get a break?"

"I haven't slept in a week." Taichi shot back. "But I still think that ANBU members shouldn't be so chatty."

"Sorry, it's just that I haven't seen you in ten years." The obviously female ANBU removed her mask, grinning at Taichi.

"Hana." Taichi greeted her coolly.

"Cold as ever, Sentou-kun." Hana acknowledged. "Well, I have a feeling we'll be receiving a call soon. And you're getting your mask back in a week, but it may not be the same animal."

"That's a pity." Taichi sighed. "But I've never been fond of snakes."

**

* * *

  
A week later**

"Iwasaki-san." The girl in question turned from her students to face the ANBU.

"Yes?"

"You're getting your mask. Hurry and finish this lesson."

"Really?" Suki's eyes shone. "No one told me! Everyone, just…well, you can go home today."

"Yes!" Kiba and Naruto jumped up and ran off.

"Honestly, it's like they hate me…" Suki pouted, following the ANBU. "I bet you guys even told Daisuke and Taichi."

"A week ago." The ANBU agreed, tilting his head. "But we couldn't find a good time to interrupt you from your…intense training."

"Is it really _that_ bad?"

"Yes."

Suki sighed and walked into the building, watching her footing as the ground tilted sharply downwards. After a long walk, they ended up in an underground chamber, lit only by candles on the walls. Daisuke walked over to her. "Eerie, isn't it?"

"A little." She replied. "What do you think, Taichi?"

"It's not bad," he said, pushing off from the wall. "I mean, it could be worse."

"How so? There are shackles."

"But no corpses."

"Good point." Suki turned her head. "So where's the ceremony? I don't remember one last time, when we first got our masks."

"There wasn't one." Ryouchi ushered them forwards. "Hurry, now."

"Iwasaki Sukiko." An old man, a member of the council, stepped forward, masks in hand. "You are a great leader, a proud person, and a fierce warrior. For being a leader of the pack, I give you the wolf's mask."

"Thank you." Suki bowed sharply, before raising her head and taking the mask. Silently, she pulled it over her head and stepped back just in front of the other ANBU.

"Sentou Taichi, you follow your own ideals and you are often masterminding the greater plans. You are a hot-tempered and sly warrior. For working alone and preferring it that way, I give you the cat's mask."

"Thank you." Taichi also bowed, receiving his mask and joining Suki. Daisuke stepped forward and the old man turned to him.

"Kazunari Daisuke, you are a kind-hearted person, and you follow instructions very well. You seem to have an endless supply of energy. You are a tough and levelheaded warrior. For being loyal to your team and village, I give you the dog's mask."

"Thank you." Daisuke bowed low, before standing to get his mask. He put it on and joined his teammates.

"The three of you…will be our best team. The team of assassins. You will step in wherever something goes wrong or when help is needed, and you may often be split up. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." The three bowed again.

"You're excused until battle begins. Go and do your duties."

* * *

**Seven weeks later**

"Here we are, kids." Suki stood before her students, who included Sakura. All were calm and readied. "Today's the day we get outfitted and go into battle. Here's your final teams."

She moved back, allowing them space to move around.

"Shikamaru, Naruto, Neji, Lee." They all grouped together. Naruto grinned at Shikamaru, who nodded back.

"Sakura, Sasuke, Hinata, Chouji." They stood together. Hinata smiled shyly at Sakura, who gave an encouraging one back.

"TenTen, Kiba, Shino, Ino." They formed a group. Kiba smiled at Shino, and TenTen shifted to stand next to Ino.

"Here's the formations I want you to form if I call on you." Suki sighed. "These are less fair."

"Neji, Shino, Lee, Naruto. You're my first pick for emergencies and may be called on." Lee and Naruto were full of enthusiasm, and Neji smirked.

"Sasuke, Shikamaru, TenTen, Hinata. If group one is unable to come or otherwise busy, you'll be in action." Shikamaru shrugged. TenTen nodded, happy at not being last.

"Ino, Chouji, Kiba, Sakura. Believe it or not, you may make a pretty good group, but it's unlikely I'll call on you." Sakura sighed, but resigned herself.

"Remember." Suki's unusually serious voice snapped them back to attention. "A war is no laughing matter. Teams aren't your biggest worry. Let's go."

* * *

"Taichi!" Daisuke ran up to him. "You ready?"

"Suki's not here yet." There was an irritated edge to Taichi's voice. "Why isn't she here?"

"Do you miss her?" Daisuke said softly. "I'm sure she'll show up."

"I'm not worried about that." Taichi's eye twitched slightly. "It's that she'll be late and we'll miss something important." _Like always._

"Gomen!" Suki ran up to them. "I was helping the Genin. They'll be ready if I need them."

"Suki, Daisuke, go on ahead." Taichi said. "I'll go get my Katana."

Suki nodded, and she and Daisuke began walking. Halfway there, Daisuke suddenly turned to her. He leaned forward, his breath hot on her ear. "Suki…don't die." He suddenly rested his head on her shoulder. "If you die, I won't forgive myself."

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, heart beating fast against her ribcage. "Don't…Don't worry. I won't die. But, you know, you can't die either."

He smiled, even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah." _If you don't want me to._

The two of them stayed like that for a moment, before Daisuke stepped back and they began walking again.

"So…it's begun." Suki turned to Daisuke, a slightly forced grin on her face. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, let's, Hime-san." He enjoyed the scowl on her face as they slipped on their masks. _She seems okay…maybe we'll last through the war._

"Taichi." She addressed the third member of their group as they met him. "Before we meet the others…are we going full out from the beginning?"

"In a sense…" He replied slowly. "We're sending out almost everyone, but it's mostly espionage and surveillance if not provoked."

"Espionage?" Daisuke questioned.

"Yes. We've got one or two people that will serve as 'ordinary' people, since we can't send diplomats or anyone to work this out. Ipso facto, we'll eventually have access to their records or something useful."

"Well…no more questions." Suki said. "Let's go."

They took their place. It almost seemed like a normal mission, not a war, the way people casually walked out. About half a mile out, suddenly everyone began disappearing.

"_What the hell is that?_" Taichi demanded, turning to their squad leader.

"The first of my defenses." Suki replied. "Hopefully, it's the only one we'll have to use. No one can see us from the outside unless they're wearing a Konoha Hitai-ate, and everything will look normal to the villagers."

"Won't this cause problems, though?" Hana asked.

"Iie." Suki replied shortly. "The village is going into lockdown. No one gets in Fire Country, no one gets out. The villagers will have no reason nor right to go out and find out about my barrier, and nobody gets in or else they'll at least deal with some genin."

"Nice plan." Daisuke said. "Suki, what now?"

"I don't know. Ask Taichi."

"Now…we wait. After some time, we'll check on the groups."

Their ANBU squad, the _First Division_, settled down to wait.

* * *

_It's been hours…my consciousness of time is going to start fading soon._ Suki looked around, bored, and glanced at her watch. _Wonder what happened to Kakashi…_

_Man, what's taking so long?_Daisuke turned to Suki impatiently. _Something must have happened by now. And Kakashi is probably slacking off or something._

_You bastard._ Taichi glared silently at Daisuke. _You're the only one who slacks off. I'm glad that nothing has gone wrong, though._

_Taichi, you're always right. Well, if we get through this war, at least I'll get paid…_

_Is that all you think about!?_

The rest of the _First Division_ watched in amazement as the three team members conversed and argued silently.

"It's amazing, the bond they have with each other…"

"Is that what it's like when their thoughts intersect?"

"Crazy…"

Suki suddenly turned and looked around. "I could've sworn I felt something…"

"Yeah." Taichi agreed. "Something out by the _Eighth Division_. Should we check it out?"

"Let's go already!" said Daisuke, burning with impatience.

"Okay, okay, jeez." Suki sighed. "We might as well."

* * *

**Five months after the war began**

"I'm sure…by now…something big will happen." Suki yawned. "I thought this would be exciting, like the last war…but this is a bunch of crap. We're sneaking around, killing tiny little scared spies."

"Well, we've got around ten years to wait." Daisuke said. "This war may last ages. But really, the genin will be old by the time it finishes at this rate."

"Besides, I thought the war horrified you." Taichi murmured.

"Well…growing up with it and fighting from a young age…" Suki looked down, suddenly feeling shy. "I guess I miss it, in a sense. It was horrible, but it was life."

"Yeah." Taichi agreed. "It was life."

"It sucked, though." Said Daisuke. "They ordered me around, calling me pipsqueak!"

Suki stifled a laugh. "The _nerve_…"

"I know!"

A large explosion interrupted their conversation.

"What was that?" Suki stood up, looking across the rooftops of the abandoned village they were monitoring.

Daisuke watched her silhouetted profile for a moment. He shook himself. "Let's check it out."

Suki immediately took action, leaping across the rooftops.

After a moment's silence, Taichi stood too. He walked over to Daisuke. "It's all well and good to pretend, but it will take a long time before we're the same as before." He said quietly. "It will be best to tell her soon. You or me. I won't wait any longer."

Daisuke looked steadily into his eyes. "I know."

They began to run, following her rapidly distancing figure.

* * *

"This is what I'm talking about!" Suki whispered, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. In front of her loomed a huge, horrible creature.

"What is it?" said Daisuke, his back against hers.

"I don't know, but it's ugly. And it's not our friend."

"Oh, right, Taichi said he'd go find the source of another explosion, but he'll back us up later."

"Conceited bastard. What if he needs help?"

"That's what I said." Daisuke paused, leaping onto the creature. "Ew…it's rotting. SUKI!" He yelled. "They're dead!"

"Nasty!" Suki pushed one away with her staff, twisting the ends. Blades shot out as she stabbed a creature in the eye. It disintegrated into slimy, twisting maggots.

"What the hell?" Daisuke suddenly flipped off it, stabbing the thing with shuriken.

"_Allow me to explain_." A voice quietly said. It was soft, but carried through the air.

"What the hell are these things?" Suki said in disgust.

"They are _Rothlets._ Rotting things made up of other dead creatures. These are the smallest. If you come across a big one…" The nasty voice chuckled. "Well, I won't feel sorry for you."

"Bastard." Suki killed the last one. "Do they stay dead?"

"Oh yes, I'm afraid. We haven't found a way to revive them a second time. Quite disgusting, really, but they do the job often."

The section of the village was in ruins. "This is horrible…I hope the villagers are all safe somewhere else."

"There's no one." Daisuke muttered, before standing from his crouching position. "I'll go notify the rest of the squad. We'll move out later. I'm sure soon we'll be needed if there's bigger Rothlets."

Suki stood there for a while, the nasty laugh echoing in her ears as her blood pounded in her eardrums. _Why…is the voice so familiar?_

"There you are." Warm arms enveloped her. Suki leaned into the source of warmth as he lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "_I was worried about you, Suki._"

"You know there's no need to worry." Suki replied. "Taichi…"

Suddenly, he pinned her against the wall. Taichi's face came close to hers, his breath hot against her cool skin. "Suki…you don't understand, do you?" His golden eyes burned into hers.

"_I want you for myself."_

Suki's skin suddenly flushed and became hot in the chilled midnight air as she pressed herself further against the wall. "T-Taichi…?"

"I'm not going to wait any longer." He said softly, leaning even closer. "I missed you…more than I told you. I've been waiting to tell you for ten years, Suki."

He pressed his forehead against hers, cooling her burning skin. Hungrily, his lips pressed against hers. _Suki…_

Suki closed her eyes. _It's…so different from Daisuke…but I shouldn't be doing this to him. Still…_

She slowly returned his kiss, knowing he was trying to be gentle with her. Barely conscious of her surroundings, she felt Taichi's arms wrap around her waist, pressing her closer to him.

…_Is it okay if I know it's wrong?_


	4. When Will The War Be Over?

Grr...the breaks in between POVs are disappearing! Sorry if it's a bit confusing, but I guess you'll get the hang of it. If it's WAY too hard to read and you desperately need me to fix everything up, drop a review or a PM and I'll get right to it.

Stupid Microsoft Word kept on giving me improper grammar hints. I swear, it was trying to make me make a mistake!

**_Warning!: This chapter is rated M for language such as the 'F' word...again..._**

Just needed to let you know so I'm not responsible for it!

**Spoilers: ...I give up. Just keep an eye out for any suspicious material.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Koshimoto does. I also do not own anything else you may recognize as someone else's. (Just in case ;P)**

"Taichi…" Suki whispered, resting her head on his chest. "Is this okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Taichi replied. "It's not as if you and Daisuke are together."

"Yeah, but he'll be so sad…" She clutched his shirt. "I don't want to see him like that. Daisuke told me he'd wait for me…"

"The way I see it," said Taichi. "It's Daisuke's fault. He told you, and you said no. After that, he just gave up. Sure, he was respecting your wishes, but he should have made absolutely certain, right?"

"I don't know anymore." Suki sighed, looking up at him. "I don't know what to think, or what to do. It's like I can't do anything."

"Then I'll help you through it." Taichi grinned down at her. "I'll do the thinking."

Suki laughed. "That'll be tough. You think enough already." She stepped back, missing the warmth instantly. "We should go back."

"Yeah." Taichi jumped up on the rooftop. "If we stay any longer someone will be suspicious." _Don't want them to think we died._

"Mm." Suki followed him, feet padding silently on the concrete and shingles.

* * *

"You guys are finally back, huh?" said Daisuke. He seemed strange.

"…Yes." Suki replied after a moment's hesitation. She wasn't sure how to deal with this. _It's all too awkward._

The rest of the Division seemed oblivious to the atmosphere surrounding the three.

Suddenly, she felt a vibration in the air. _It's a message from one of the teams._ Suki listened carefully.

_We…need to go…_Sixth Division_ in trouble…Team One will meet you there…From Shikamaru_.

"Ah." Suki was glad to have an excuse to leave the strange atmosphere. "Team One needs my help. It seems the _Sixth Division_ is having a bit of trouble. Maybe something has begun."

"This early in the morning?" Daisuke asked, trying to ignore the awkwardness. "I guess the war has really begun now."

"I thought it was too quiet." She said. "I'm heading out. Maybe I'll meet you guys in a few days. Um…Daisuke, you're in charge since you'll keep a level head."

"Gotcha. Hurry and get there fast."

"See you!" Suki leapt off. _Good riddance…I wonder if I should just stay single my whole life to escape that…_

The tension escalated at an alarming rate once Suki was gone. It rose to the point where the rest of the Division backed away a little nervously, sensing something.

"It must have to do with Iwasaki." One guy whispered to another.

"I'm sure it does."

"All of you, shut up." Taichi suddenly snarled, turning to Daisuke. "This is your fault!"

"How is it mine!?" Daisuke yelled back. "You're the one who did something to Suki last night!"

"I kissed her, okay?" With a tremendous effort, Taichi lowered his voice to a deadly hiss. "And she liked it. I didn't do shit to her without her permission. It's all your damn fault for thinking I did something."

"Shut the fuck up." Daisuke said. "You've ruined my relationship with Suki. I know what she was thinking. She doesn't want to hurt me. I don't care who she's with if she's happy." His voice became softer. "Suki's happiness has always come before mine in my priorities."

"Isn't that how it should be?" said Taichi. "We always put her before us."

"You know what?" Daisuke forced a smile. "Just…just make her happy. I want to see Suki smile. I don't really mind if it's with someone else." He turned his back and began walking.

"Liar." Taichi put a hand on Daisuke's shoulder, stopping him. "You do care, more than anyone except maybe me." He put a hand to his forehead. "I don't know. I guess this will never work out. Suki won't be happy if you're not happy, so…I'll break it off with her. Suki can choose whatever she likes."

"Yeah. That's probably best." Daisuke said quietly. He laughed a little. "One night and it's over, huh?"

Taichi cracked a smile. "It hurts less that way."

* * *

"I'm here." Suki jumped down from the trees. "What's going on?"

"They've concentrated a major attack here." Said Naruto. "But nobody else can come help in case they've still got people trying other parts of the forest. There's too many!"

"Outnumbered, right?" Suki gave him a feral grin. "Never stopped me before." _If it did, Tsudon-sensei's chickens would've killed me already._ "Listen, if we make it through this before two years are up, I'll take some of you with me to visit my sensei. Deal?"

Naruto's face lit up. "Deal!"

Suddenly motivated, he ran off. Neji growled. "That idiot, going so recklessly!" He ran after him.

"Okay…you two team up." Suki pulled her staff out and smirked. "I've got a little solo work to be done."

She ran out to the edge of the forest, near the border. Immediately, a ninja engaged her in battle. He was young, barely fifteen. Suki knocked him on the head and shoved her staff in his gut, releasing a wicked sword-like blade from each end. Swallowing hard, she ran on.

"There really is too many, I guess." She laughed, looking around with interest.

A circle of ninja entirely closed her in, each with sharp weapons and nasty grins on their faces. She suddenly spotted a young child who ran in, and grabbed him. Slowly, she raised a kunai to his throat before deeming it safe to examine him. The boy's face was pale, eyes wide. His pupils were dilated in terror, as he stood stock-still.

"Poor child." She murmured in his ear. "I'm sorry. Did you not want to be in this war?"

He mouthed a small 'No'.

"Tell me more." She said, keeping an eye on the circle of ninja around her. "Are they recruiting everyone and anyone?"

"T-They want to have as big an army as possible." The child whispered. "I'll tell you anything, I'll do anything, just get me out of here, please!" His eyes shifted from side to side. "I'll join your village and never say another word, but this war is…"

Her eyes softened behind the fearsome mask. "Well then, stay right there." She spotted no weapons on him, and almost no chakra. "You'll do, I suppose."

Making sure to leave the child unharmed, she finished off the ninja. "Now, what's your name?"

"K-Kiku." He said.

"I'm sorry…but for the remainder of the war you'll have to be a hostage." She sighed. "I'm not so foolish as to trust you immediately."

She handed the boy to a medic-nin who then took him back to the village for her. A noise made Suki suddenly turn her head.

"It's…this is not good." She stared ahead silently, eyes straining to make out the shape. Suddenly, her senses were assaulted by a loud, wicked cackling.

__

No…

Not this again…

This laughter…I know I've heard it before! I can't remember, though…

Damn it!

Suki suddenly realized what she was looking at, and froze in silent horror.

_Daisuke…Taichi…we have a problem…_

Daisuke suddenly shivered. "I have a bad feeling."

"Yeah, me too." Taichi said. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea. Let's go and find Suki. Something is horribly wrong."

* * *

**A few hours later**

"What the hell is going on?" Taichi yelled at Suki.

"We're being pushed back…all of us are going back to the village to regroup."

"Are they crazy? We can't just _leave_ in the middle of a war!"

"We've got the advantage." Said Suki. "We know the terrain. We're going to get communicators…all of us. And the real attacks will begin soon. We'll probably have another six months, which is a hell of a lot of time considering we're so far in."

"It's ridiculous." Said Daisuke. "That is _ridiculous_. How can we have six months? I'd estimate a few days!"

"It seems that they're regrouping too. We're sending someone for a treaty."

"As if that will work at this point!" Taichi said. "We're backed into a corner. What's going to happen?"

"We're going to have to call Tsudon-sensei." Said Suki quietly. "I have a feeling we'll be backed into a corner where every resource possible will be used. Tsunade-sama may be called out. None of the teams, or anything, will be useful anymore."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'll explain further at the meeting tonight. Just hurry up and get back to the village."

* * *

"This is a mess." Said Tsunade. "It's like a game gone wrong. It's not even like a real war. They fight, they turn back. We have to end this one way or another."

"I agree." Said Taichi. "But Suki's got an idea, Hokage-sama."

"We're basically going to have to enter a free-for-all." Said Suki quietly. "I'm calling out everything possible. Opening up the entire arsenal."

"What?" Tsunade said sharply.

"I'm saying, we'll depend on the genin. They're our best bet so far. I'll call Tsudon-sensei, and he'll probably send help, if he can't come himself. I'm going to use some things I promised myself I'd never use." She gritted her teeth. "But I'll do anything to protect Konoha and the people in it."

Tsunade smiled grimly. "Then, we'll have to rethink this entire strategy."

"I suggest," said Taichi. "This is horrible and will end terribly, but we'll have to fight inside the village."

"No!" said a Jounin who had been silent up until this point. "That's what we've been aiming not to do!"

"This way is best." Said Taichi. "We'll be strongest like that. I want to have some promotions, too. But that's not the point. We need to gather the strongest force possible, and disregard strategy."

"Why?" said Daisuke. "This is like suicide."

"Because," said Suki. "Because we have no idea how powerful the enemy can get." She sighed. "We're at the point where we need to be prepared for anything short of Armageddon."

"I've seen…" another Jounin spoke up. "I've seen some of the new things they've got. They're monstrously huge, and scaly."

"No…" Tsunade's eyes opened wide. "They couldn't have…"

"Yes." Said Suki seriously. "I believe…they've opened the Fifth Dimension and are getting anything and everything they can, summoning up the most horrible creatures."

"Do they have anyone with that kind of power?" said Tsunade. "It's a serious risk…"

"They might." Said Taichi. "We might, if Tsudon helps. I'll call for Raike-sensei too."

"We have a reply!" and ANBU rushed in. "Their Daimyo has refused to stop the war…he says they've got an unbeatable power on their side, taken right from under Konoha's nose a few years ago!"

"I…I knew it!" Suki's hands shook on the table. Tsunade turned to her.

"They've taken Inai." Suki whispered. "I knew I recognized the voice…but it was so twisted by evil…" Her eyes hardened. "We better start preparing."

"Suki…" Daisuke said. "Are you okay?"

She smiled at him, but her eyes showed no sign of happiness. "Nobody's okay during a war, Daisuke."

* * *

**Six months later**

"Here we go." Said Suki, taking in a deep breath. "The scouts reported something, and I sent a message to Tsudon-sensei via one of his chickens."

"_Chickens_. I hate it when he calls them that." Daisuke snorted. "Well. I'm splitting off from you, so you'll be on your own with a team of Genin. All three of us get four of them. Good luck!"

"You too!" Suki called. Then she turned to her small group. "Sakura, Hinata, Naruto, Neji. I've got a definite advantage, having two of the Byakugan on my team, so Hinata. You go and call someone else to be on this team from Taichi's group. Got it?"

She nodded, running off. Ten minutes later, another Genin appeared. "Good…Shino. Let's go. We're taking cover until nighttime, when the big attacks will begin."

"What?" said Naruto. "Is anyone else fighting?"

"Yes."

"Why do we have to wait!?"

Suki wondered how to calm him down. Suddenly, she had an idea. _I'm such a genius._ "Because the strongest are saved for nighttime."

Naruto was suddenly quiet, containing his enthusiasm.

"Now, I'll probably get split up from all of you. We've got communicators tuned specifically to each other, though, so we'll be okay. Mine is also for the other divisions and, well, anybody. If you need to relay a message, I'll help you out."

* * *

"You know what to do!" Daisuke winked. "I won't be able to help you much if you get in trouble, so be careful, but the main thing for surviving a war (besides skill) is maintaining a happy mindset. Don't get too depressed, _Chuunin_. Yes, I mean it! Let's go!"

* * *

"Hn." Taichi surveyed his group with distaste. "This is just great. Can I leave you guys alone and count on you?"

"Yes sir!" Lee saluted, determined.

"I've got one. That's just fucking great. I can't even leave you alone? Okay then, I'll split you into two groups and you'll work in them." He noticed Hinata quivering on her own. Somehow, Taichi felt a small bit of compassion for the girl and smiled at her. "You're…Hinata, right? You join Lee. My pairings are unorthodox –I know it's logical to pair Shikamaru and Hinata together- but I can't have a strong group and a weak group, so to speak." Shikamaru almost glared at him.

"Okay, you received instructions prior to being in my group, right?" Taichi said shortly. _I sure as hell don't know what you guys are going to do._

Hinata nodded and walked over to Lee, who grinned at her. "We'll definitely do our best!"

"Y-Yes." Hinata's features settled into a small smile. "We'll work o-our hardest."

"You better.' Said Taichi. "I'm responsible if you don't come back alive, and my ass is not going to be fried by Suki because you guys screwed up. Now go!"

* * *

"Damn it." Suki looked around. "Where's the Defense Captain now? I need to know the strategy!"

_"What is it, Iwasaki? I can hear you through the headset."_ The voice rang in her ear, with an air of annoyance.

"Ah, sorry. What's the plan?"

_"We can't make an effective plan with the number of people we have and the size of the village. Just eliminate any enemy ninja you see."_"How do we know who's an enemy?"

__

_"There should be someone coming soon to tattoo you. The tattoos are different for everyone, but they're marked in a way that you'll be sure to know who's who."_

"That's a relief. I'll talk to you again later when I have a decent report."

_"Roger."_

Suki sighed. "Now…where's that person?"

"Right here!" A small girl ran up to her, gasping for air. "I've got a pattern for Iwasaki Sukiko. That you?"

"Yeah." Suki bent down. "Are they permanent?"

"Only for two months." The girl smiled. "Some people's tattoos are kinda ugly, but yours is pretty!"

"That's good." Suki laughed. She soon felt the sting of the needle, but it was really bad.

"Mirror?" said the girl. The tattoo had taken only five minutes.

Suki gingerly took the mirror, looking at her face. She gasped.

_It's…a wolf. It's very convincing._

"It's nice." Suki smiled. "Thank you."

"I have to get going!" The girl grinned. "See you later, nee-chan!" she ran off.

* * *

"What the _fuck_ is this?" Taichi glared at his reflection. His face looked like a cat.

"At least…" Sasuke smirked at him. "It's a convincing cat."

"You're one to talk, lion boy." Shikamaru smirked. "Nice mane."

"Least I'm not a deer."

"P-Please don't fight." Said Hinata quietly. Her face was marked like a bird, although it was not easy to decipher exactly what kind of bird it was.

"Yes, do not fight!" said Lee. He didn't receive an animal, but instead had lotus flowers all over his face.

Taichi sighed. "Let's just…go. Go and don't come back unless there's an emergency."

_"Taichi, orders are just kill any enemies you find." _Suki's voice rang in his ears. _"Pass the message on to Daisuke for me."_

"Roger." Taichi turned to the four Genin. "Here's the plan: eliminate any enemy you see. Attack on sight." _It's not the order, but at their current level, aside from Shikamaru it would be the best plan._

"How troublesome." Shikamaru muttered. "Sasuke, at least let me keep up with you."

Sasuke replied with a look of utter disdain.

"Ugh. Just go. Suki's moved out already. Sasuke, you wouldn't want to be behind Naruto, right? Lee, what about Neji?"

Immediately the two dragged their teammates out to beat their rivals.

Taichi laughed slightly to himself. _Genin are so simple-minded sometimes._

"Well…not too bad." Daisuke looked his face over. "At least we'll know who's on our side."

"I don't even know what this is!" Chouji's face just had another bunch of swirls all over it.

"I-I'm a pig!" Ino shrieked. "NOOO!"

"Hey!" Kiba laughed. "Mine's a bit like yours, Kazunari-sensei."

"It's…It's a dragon." TenTen looked in awe at her own face. "Cool!" There was a kunai in the dragon's mouth, which resembled a kunai sticking out of her own mouth.

"Well, don't mind the tattoos too much." Said Daisuke. "But instead focus on keeping up with your teammates and protecting your village. Your home. Now, go! I would split you into groups, but you can team up when necessary."

"Okay, sensei!" said TenTen cheerfully. "You're much more normal than my sensei…Gai-sensei…" She frowned.

"Gai? I know him from the Academy, but he was there when I was in my last year!" Daisuke said cheerfully, before his headset crackled into life.

* * *

_"Daisuke, Suki asked me to pass on this message since she already headed out. Orders are to kill any enemies you find. It's like a free-for-all"._

"Roger." Daisuke replied. "Have fun, Taichi."

_"You know I will."_ Came the tense reply before the headset turned off.

"Okay, orders are to kill any enemy ninja you see. Has anyone here killed a person before?"

There was a short silence.

"Um…" Daisuke tried to find the right words. "Don't let it overwhelm you. Fight any urges you get after the enemy is dead, including screaming. That is-"

* * *

"-the way of the ninja." Suki explained, once she had rushed to find Sakura screaming. She removed her mask to calm the girl. "Suppress all emotion until after the war. It may be years before you let out the horror of the battles." She shivered slightly. "It's getting cold, too. Maybe it will snow. I better go back." She winked at the horrified girl. "Don't worry. Most Shinobi are happy to die once they get involved in something like this.

_Isn't that what Isaki-sensei told us so we felt better?_

Suki turned her back to Sakura, hiding her worried expression. _It's a lie. I don't want to die!_

_"Suki-sensei,"_ Suki heard Neji's voice through the communicator. Faintly, she heard a few words shouted near him. _"Is everything okay?"_"Ah…yes. I'm with Sakura. Is Shino all right? What about Naruto?"

_"Last time I checked, they were both engaged in battle but not suffering from fatal wounds or anything of the sort."_Suki chuckled. "Always to the point. I'll report to Tsunade-sama."

_"Roger."_

"That was Neji-san, right?" said Sakura. "Should I join one of them?"

"That would probably be a good idea, since you're also a fantastic medic-nin and it would be a shame if that was wasted. Um…Naruto is most likely to do something rash. Go join him, okay?"

"Okay." Sakura smiled weakly. "I'll see you sometime later."

"Ja." Suki replaced her mask and returned to her 'sector'.

* * *

"You-" Taichi kicked the man in front of him. "Just-" He stabbed him. "Won't-" He punched him in the face, sending a tooth flying. "Die-" He then wrestled the man to the floor. "Will you?" Taichi panted slightly, trying to regulate his breathing.

He held the man's neck, watching his eyes roll before soon the twitching and jerky movements stopped.

_Killing is only done by the cold-blooded._

Taichi smirked in satisfaction. "Nobody is going to get into this village and wreck it with us around."

He picked up the body, tossing it with the others. "Don't want to leave a mess." Vaguely, he wondered what others would say when he muttered that.

_It's a disgusting thing that should be avoided unless absolutely necessary._"I should make a report." He switched on his headset. "Battle Commander?"

_"Ah, yes, who is it?"_"Sentou Taichi." Taichi muttered, keeping an eye open for any intruders. "I have…disposed of all enemies so far. There have been no fatal injuries to any of my team, including myself."

_"Roger."  
_

_The worst thing about killing is that you can never forget the sin you committed._

Daisuke shivered in the cold air. "It's freezing. It will probably snow soon. What a pity."

"Daisuke-san?" A ninja glanced at him. "Are you okay?"

"Fool!" Another female ninja hissed at her. "How dare you address Kazunari-sama so familiarly!?"

"Ah…Sorry, Kazunari-sama." The girl bowed.

Daisuke inclined his head. "It's fine."

_I wonder how Suki is doing?_ He glanced at the empty streets around him, wind ruffling his clothes. For the first time since his Genin team arrived, he had time to think about her.

* * *

_That bastard Taichi is probably out doing sick and disgusting things to his victims._ Daisuke frowned. _He's sadistic._

Suddenly, an uncontrollable shiver overcame him. "T-Too cold…"

"Are you really okay?" The ninja who first spoke to him asked dubiously.

"Yeah…" Daisuke turned his head and carelessly threw a kunai, attracting another enemy. "Whoops."

He warmed up by fighting the ninja. "It's gonna be a hell of a night."

* * *

The snow fell lightly, dusting the ground as Suki stood near the tree she had chosen for the night. She and Daisuke had teamed up, their Genin close by.

"It's nice out." She looked up, turning her head slightly. The snow fell into her hair, creating a net of fine white flakes.

"I'm cold." Said Daisuke, frowning. "You stay outside in almost any weather."

"Well…I lived in almost any weather for years." She laughed. "I'm not used to sleeping indoors."

"Even after the years you spent with us?" Daisuke teased her. "I think you were pretty comfortable then."

"I still prefer a windowsill to a bed." She grinned. "But a tree is best." She shook her head and climbed into the tree, stretching and casually crossing her ankles. "Aah…I can watch the snow."

Daisuke simply grinned at her and climbed into the next tree. He watched sleepily as the snow fell and melted, only a few flakes clotting together and staying on the ground.

"It must take a hell of a lot of snow to cover the ground thickly." He murmured.

"Yeah." Suki agreed. "It will probably snow all night." She laughed. "What kind of war is this, that we stopped during the night?"

"It's the first snowfall." He replied. "Don't argue. Anyone would find this magical, compared to the heat we get most of the year."

"I honestly don't envy Yukigakure no Sato." Suki closed her eyes briefly. "But I'll take whatever rest I can get."

"Good night."

"Night." Suki closed her eyes, wishing she could fall asleep that easily.

* * *

"Fuck." Taichi growled. "This place is covered in mold." He looked at the walls disdainfully. "Might as well copy Suki and sleep in a goddamn tree." Slowly, he climbed into the tree. As he got his footing, Taichi noticed the snow. "It's going to be cold tomorrow. That's just _great_." _The longer this goes on, the more I have to complain about._

He yawned, stretching out a leg and folding the other. "I might as well get comfy and take the first and third watches."

He turned on his headset. "Matsuri, you take the second watch."

_"Sure."_He glared at the sky, but couldn't help but feel some small sense of excitement at the snow. "I've been around Suki way too long."

* * *

The night was long and cold. As the snow continued to fall, it began to glitter, capturing the dreams of each and every Shinobi sleeping within its whitened grasp.

In the morning, the snow was soft and sparkling. The Genin traveled instead through the trees, loath to disturb the fluffy blanket.

"Oi." Naruto whispered to Sakura, peering at his Sensei. "Suki-sensei really does sleep with one eye open!"

"Will you get out of my face?" she hissed, opening the other eye. "Don't be so obvious!"

Surprised, he toppled out of the tree into the cold snow. "O-Oh-Ow! Snow down my shirt!"

Suki laughed. "Lesson 63: Don't wake up a sleepy Sensei."

"How many more lessons are there?" Sasuke demanded.

"As many as you need." Suki replied merrily. "My sensei gave me hundreds of lessons. Each one of them was valuable."

"Each one?" said Naruto skeptically. "Every single lesson out of hundreds?"

"Yup!" Suki said. "Every single one. I wrote them all down, too."

"She's crazy." Sakura whispered to Naruto, while Neji just stared at her with a look on his face that Daisuke found comical.

"Hey, Suki, these brats are funny. Mine are…boring." He finished lamely.

"That's mean." She reprimanded him, although the smile on her face spoiled the effect. "Anyway…we better get going. No groups today, okay? The effects you make will be clear enough on the snow."

"First…Snowball fight!" Naruto threw a snowball at Neji, whose _Byakugan_ was activated and ready. He sliced the rounded snow in half, but was unable to avoid getting it in his face. "Naruto…" he said menacingly. Angrily, he turned his back to the blond boy.

Only to receive another snowball hitting him squarely in the back. It was the final straw for the Hyuuga, and he childishly picked up some snow and threw a snowball back at Naruto. The sheer pleasure showed on his face as it hit Naruto directly in the face. "Don't throw snowballs at me."

The small fight quickly escalated into a mini-war, with only Shino refusing to participate and instead keeping watch from a distance. He seemed to dislike the snow.

Suki laughed as she was hit in the face with another snowball, the snow melting in her mouth. "Daisuke, you'll pay for that!"

"As if." He winked at her, but was hit with several snowballs at once when Sakura, Suki and Naruto all threw them at him.

"Ugh…" Daisuke shook himself. "Now I've got snow down my shirt too." He shivered, dancing on the spot to stop it from contact with his body.

Suki gasped and fell to the ground as Sakura snuck up on her and stuffed snow down her thin jacket. As it hit her burning skin, an agonizing itchy sensation exploded within her. "O-Ow! That hurts!"

"It hurts Suki even more than us." Said Daisuke, avoiding a calculated snowball thrown by Neji. "Because her skin is always very hot and sensitive."

"Sorry, Suki-sensei!" Sakura gasped. "I didn't know!"

As the snow melted and water trickled down her back, Suki regained the ability to speak and composed herself. "It's fine. But now we really better get going, because we've left whole sectors open."

_"IWASAKI!" _A voice suddenly thundered in her ears. _"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? The genin have had their hands full trying to restrain the people you let through!"_"I'm sorry!" she cried. "Stop yelling at me!"

_"GO AND START FIGHTING, NOW!"_Suki shivered again, in fear this time. "Everyone, seriously, go back to your sectors or my ass will be _fried_ by the Defense Captain and Tsunade-sama."

"The old hag can't do anything to you!" Naruto laughed. "She's pushing fifty and probably weak!"

"Speak with more respect for your elders!" Neji hissed at him. "I apologize for Naruto's idiotic comments, Suki-sensei, Kazunari-san."

"You can call me Daisuke." Daisuke grinned. "Any friends of Suki's are potential friends of mine."

"Daisuke…san." Neji muttered, unable to drop the honorific.

"We better get going, everyone." Sakura repeated what Suki had been saying. "Mata ashita, Suki-sensei."

"Ja ne." she replied.

"Why tomorrow?" Daisuke asked.

"Ah…that's because I told my team they should survive a night alone."

"Like, one person per sector?"

"Exactly." Suki smiled slightly. "I have the most grown-up team of genin, consisting of most of the elite from the class. Hyuuga Neji, top genin of his year. Uzumaki Naruto, crazy but incredibly powerful with the Kyuubi inside his body. Haruno Sakura, medical Nin trained directly under Tsunade-sama. Finally, Aburame Shino, silent but deadly." She laughed. "That sounded bad. I mean, he's really good. Shino makes a teammate anyone would want if they needed to get the job done."

"You're right." Daisuke laughed. "Your team's a real winner. I'll see you later."

"Bye." Suki leapt to her feet and began to run away, hating the tracks she made.

* * *

"Water," Taichi gasped, "There's so much water, but I can't…"

He stared, irritated, at the snow around him. Blood was sinking in, and he felt disgusting considering drinking it.

"But I need water…" Slowly, he sank to the ground, feeling the effects of dehydration.

"Stupid Sentou." He heard a voice above him. "He always thinks he can do everything himself."

Remotely, he felt someone press something to his mouth. Grasping what he identified as a bottle, Taichi drank, slaking his thirst. As his senses returned, he stood up, wiping his mouth.

"…Thank you."

"Dammit, if we lost you Hokage-sama would be so pissed off! Think about the consequences for other people!" The man scolded him. By his voice, Taichi could tell it was a man older than himself, and therefore due respect.

"I'm sorry." He turned his head, feeling his pride eliminate any further display of deference.

The man's eyes softened. "Just don't keep pushing yourself like that."

As he left, Taichi frowned. _I can take care of myself._

He decided it was time to find Suki. The area was clear and soon held down by other, capable Jounin and ANBU.

* * *

"Daisuke-san." A female ninja came up to him in their free time, as groups of people could be heard in other places.

"Ah. Yes?" He looked up, only to find her face precariously close to his.

"Is there anything you might…need?" she purred, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder.

Daisuke began to have an idea of what she meant, but baited her further. "What do you mean?"

"Is there any service I can give you?" she whispered. Her other hand brushed his leg.

"No, thank you." He said sharply, moving her hands away from him. "I understand you may want something, but you're picking the wrong people. Ninja of higher rank are not interested in such base things during war."

Her face twisted slightly in anger as she left to find another person to seduce.

_Sexual tension may reach an all-time high during a war. _Daisuke remember Isaki-sensei lecturing them.

__

Female ninja, or especially male ninja –just to warn you, Suki- have different thoughts after spending time in the war. They start to think 'I don't want to die a virgin' and thus come after anyone and everyone to alleviate that fear.

I've seen older ninja even come after the children they see, they're so afraid. You must reject anyone who asks you if they can help you with anything, because there's often a double meaning to what they say. Also, if you say no, prepare yourself to be forced into something.

Daisuke knew eventually it would happen to him, but was disappointed to know people who have reached Jounin status and sometimes higher still had these fears. _It's the wrong way of thinking._ He hoped Suki was okay, wherever she was.

* * *

"Iwasaki!" She turned around, hair flying from her face, towards the source of the noise. A group of men were standing a short distance away, strange expressions on their faces. "Yeah?"

"How are you?" The largest grinned, coming closer to her. Suki recognized them and stood her ground. "I'm fine."

"That's good to hear." He breathed, before pushing her against a wall. "I was hoping there was something you could help me with."

Uncomfortable, she shifted. "Could you back up a bit first?"

He laughed, and she shivered in disgust as he leaned closer. "Girlie, you're going to help me whether you like it or not."

"I could kick your ass!" she said, hoping to threaten him before using violence.

A comrade of his walked over and stabbed a needle into her shoulder. Horrified, Suki felt her arms and legs stop responding. "You can't do anything now, sweetheart." He grinned, showing her yellowed teeth.

Suki closed her eyes. _No…No, not this…_ She felt his mouth on her neck, sucking at her skin. _Help…_

His head moved higher up, lips connecting with hers. She felt his slimy tongue lick her lips. "You taste good." he commented. "All the better."

"Help…" She whispered, as his hands moved to remove her shirt. "Please, help…"

She kept her eyes closed, but suddenly felt the pressure of his body removed from hers. Carefully, she opened her eyes.

"Nobody is going to touch Suki." Taichi stood in front of her, staring at the dying men surrounding them.

"That was going a little too far." She said, but collapsed gratefully into his arms.

"Nothing is going to far if they're going to harm you." he muttered, propping her up. Gently, he put his hand on her head. "Are you okay?"

She felt the feeling return to her limbs and shakily wiped her mouth and neck. "I'll be okay."

Taichi walked with her to a rock, where Suki sat down and leaned against him. "I didn't think they were that desperate…"

"You have to be prepared for anything." He said softly. "You can't scare us like that! What if nobody was around to help you?"

"I could have taken them on if he didn't carry around sedative with him." Suki scowled.

"Those bastards will do anything." He reprimanded her.

"I'm sorry." Her dulcet tones made him forget his anger. "I won't let anything happen to me again." She looked up at him, eyes shining. "But you can't get hurt either, okay?"

"Okay." He pressed her against him, her head resting on her chest. Taichi enjoyed the sensation of running his fingers through her silky hair. "I promise."

After a moment, he pulled away. "We better get going."

Suki looked frustrated. "There's no time for anything."

Taichi laughed hollowly. "Of course." He pulled her into a final hug. "Once the war's over, I promise we'll have a lot of time." He knew the same question was running through her mind.

_When will the war be over?_


	5. We Will Become Stronger Shinobi This Way

Mmm...It'll take some time to replace all the chapters, but I'm fixing the breaks in between parts so you can read it easier! Yay for me!

Joking. But still, hopefully it's easier to read?

**_Warning!: This chapter is rated M for language such as the 'F' word._**

Just needed to let you know so I'm not responsible for it!

**Spoilers: ...I give up. Just keep an eye out for any suspicious material.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Koshimoto does. I also do not own anything else you may recognize as someone else's. (Just in case ;P)**

Roughly eight months later…"What happened to the treaty?" Suki shouted into her headset.

_"We don't know."_ A young voice replied. _"The man never came back alive. We're sending a team of ANBU out to check."_"Can we afford to?"

_"We have no choice. Let's just hope they come back alive."_"Yuuki. Can you please stop talking to me?" Suki turned and stabbed her staff into a ninja's gut. "It's not like a don't enjoy your company, but there are never ending Shinobi from Iwagakure!"

_"We suspect they're recruiting by blackmailing other countries for some ninja." _Yuuki said. _"We'll check that out too. I'll talk to you later."_"Yeah. Bye." Suki growled, clapping her hands together. A gust of wind pushed the ninja back. "Damn it, I don't have time!" She formed a few seals and a bolt of lighting struck each ninja. "I don't want to use my chakra at all if possible, but in these circumstances…"

"SUKI!"

"IWASAKI!"

"SUKI-SENSEI!"

A large group of people, consisting of Genin, Daisuke, and the _First Division_, ran up to her. Suki felt a hand on her head and turned to see Kakashi in ANBU wear. His visible eye was creased in a smile.

"The enemy Shinobi have stopped coming."

"What?" She stopped in shock. "That means…"

"Yes." Daisuke reached her and grabbed her hand. "The war is over!"

"For now." Neji had learned to be very cautious when dealing with this. "We're getting a break. If the treaty comes –I heard their Daimyo is considering it- then the war will _really_ end."

"Yes." Shino spoke up for the first time in weeks. "And we received permission from Hokage-sama to go on a 'trip'. She said you knew where we were going."

Suki suddenly had a horrible inkling she knew what was going on. "He _wouldn't…_"

Daisuke read the look on her face. It was one he had seen many times before and knew the significance of. "Everybody, clear the area!"

He ushered the confused crowd away from Suki. A few minutes later, they heard a resounding crash and a shriek.

"Suki!" He ran back, to find her sitting in the clearing with a scroll a few feet away. "That _bastard…_" she raged. "He had the _guts_ to drop this thing near me!?"

"Tsudon," Daisuke explained to the rest of the people there. "Tsudon has a rather unique way of delivering messages, seeing as he can't come places himself and hates sending students."

"Tsudon-sensei drops the messages from the sky." Suki said. "He usually weights them down so they could _destroy_ anyone who didn't know it was coming or was unaware where it would land. By the time the message has finished accelerating and hits the ground, it's lethal and the paper-" She reached over and grabbed the dirty scrap of paper. "-is in tatters."

"You mean…" Said Sakura cautiously. "He _throws_ them?"

"Oh, no!" Suki grinned. "Nobody has that kind of strength. His mountain is ages away. No, he launches them from some strange device he created."

"I never got the hang of that." Said Daisuke. "He hates it when I try to deliver a message that way."

"Is that why he lent you Tirai?" said Suki.

"Yes." Daisuke replied cheerfully. "Because I would always aim it at him."

Suki burst out laughing. "Serves him right! Well, let's read the message."

_You're visiting when the war is over. I asked Tsunade, so hurry up! I won't be kept waiting._"Master?" Suki raised an eyebrow. "He's gotten conceited since we left."

-Master Tsudon

"Nah, he's always been like that with everyone except you," said Daisuke. "Because you didn't always hate him the minute he set us impossible tasks."

"I was stupid." She retorted. "I didn't think they were impossible."

The students watched the argument in varying stages of amusement, worry, and confusion.

"What's going on?" Naruto finally asked.

"Oh!" Suki turned to him. "I'm taking a HUGE bunch of us to visit my old sensei!"

* * *

"Remind me why I'm going." Said Taichi grumpily, being dragged by Suki.

"Because we're going to visit Raike after this so you might as well come see my sensei!" she replied.

"We're going to visit Raike-sensei?"

"Sometime." Suki said. "Once we get a formal invitation."

"As if that will ever happen." Taichi snorted. "He hates having guests."

"Yeah, well, he might change his mind." Suki said. "But we'll cut the visit short in case the war starts again. Remember what the Daimyo said when he refused?"

_We've got an unbeatable power on our side taken from under Konoha's nose._Daisuke fidgeted uncomfortably. "He can't have something unbeatable. Who could he possibly have taken?"

"Nobody's gone missing…" Said Suki thoughtfully. "I checked the records once we got our masks."

"Yes, but still-"

"For the sake of this trip," Taichi interrupted. "Let's drop the investigation you two are about to start."

"Oh, okay." Suki suddenly released his hand, opting instead to grin cheekily at him. "You're sad because you're being left out."

"Not." He turned his head from her in a childish display of temper.

Suki laughed. "We'll refrain from investigating, but you have to enjoy the trip."

"I won't promise you anything."

They reached Suki's planned destination – a solid rock wall.

"What's this?" Neji demanded.

"It's the base of a mountain, silly! Normally, Tsudon would have you scale it with one hand if you were already his student, but if it's your first time you can use anything except jutsu to get up. Unless it's something like the Byakugan or anything utterly useless to help you physically."

Naruto groaned. "We better get started."

Kakashi cracked his knuckles. "This won't be bad training."

Daisuke put a hand behind his back and clutched the rocky surface of the mountain with his other. Suki copied his actions and winked at the group of Genin and two adults. "See you at the top!"

With that, they began to climb.

Sasuke frowned. "I'm confident I will hate this." He began to climb, too.

"C'mon! How will I get Akamaru up there?" Kiba yelled to Daisuke.

He looked down, frowning. "Suki will send a chicken down for him."

Kiba sighed. "I don't want to know. Akamaru, you stay here. I'll meet you at the top."

Akamaru barked, and Kiba began the climb.

Everyone else began climbing too. TenTen found her weapons to be very useful in this situation, and Lee was confident he could make it up with all the training he had endured. "YOSH! It's time to build my strength even more!"

"You're crazy, bushy-brows." Naruto said, glancing down before quickly scrabbling for a handhold again.

As they made their way up, Suki glanced down. Ino was lagging, and Shikamaru was complaining his way up.

"I'll go back for them." Said Suki to Daisuke. "You guide the rest of them up the right path."

"Should I send a chicken?"

"Only for Akamaru," said Suki. "I feel bad that I left him down there."

"Gotcha. You go help them."

Suki slid down the mountain, using her chakra to clutch at the rock and stop when she reached the pair.

"Come on, you two! You can make it up!"

"No, I can't." Ino groaned. "I really cannot make it up this mountain."

"I'm too lazy." Shikamaru admitted. "This is just too much work."

"I'll drag you up if you don't start climbing again _now._" Suki said menacingly. Ino began to push herself again, feeling the strain of a long climb.

Eventually, with a little encouragement and a steady stream of threats, everybody made it up.

"TSUDON-SENSEI!" Suki shouted immediately.

"TSUDON, YOU PINT-SIZED OLD FART!" Daisuke followed up.

Right away, a tiny old man appeared, shaking with rage. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"Wow, the old man has lungs." Naruto whispered to Kiba, who shook with suppressed laughter.

"We need to borrow one of your chickens." Suki said politely. "Or I'll skin you alive. We left Akamaru down there."

"If you can get one, you can send one down for whatever it is." Tsudon replied, calming down.

"Long time no see, Old man." Daisuke grinned. "Last I recall, you pushed us off this damn cliff."

"Yeah." Tsudon chuckled. "Good times, good times."

Daisuke's face suddenly darkened in a dramatic change of mood. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT ABOUT?"

"I thought a good trick would be an excellent send-off."

"For you!" Daisuke seethed. "If Suki hadn't thought so quickly, we would've been smashed to pieces!"

"Relax, Daisuke." Suki said. She brought her finger to her mouth and whistled strangely. "Tsudon-sensei is saying he believed in us, in his own perverse way."

"Did you get the whistle right?" said Daisuke.

"Yeah…but I assume Tirai's busy." Suki sighed. "He must have someone else with him."

"Stupid bird." Daisuke sighed. "Right when we need him he-"

The rest of what he was going to say was drowned out as a loud screech rent the air. Sakura gasped and covered her ears, and Ino cowered as a gigantic bird suddenly showed its head.

"Ah. Tirai!" Daisuke shouted above the loud noise of Tirai's flapping wings. "We need you to pick up Akamaru down there and bring him up!"

The bird's head dipped slightly before it vanished from sight, dropping down the mountain.

"I guess he was just sleepy or something." Suki said in the silence that followed.

"That…was ridiculous." Neji muttered, closing his eyes and sighing.

"Don't think anything here will make sense." Said Suki cheerfully, as she hit him lightly over the head. "Tsudon-sensei has a way of making even normal things seem stupid or ridiculous."

"I resent that." He said. "And how did you manage to call the littlest chicken of all?"

"Because," she retorted. "A larger one might drop or kill Akamaru!"

"So?"

"SO!?" Suki glared. "He's Kiba's _nakama_!"

Kiba nodded quickly in agreement.

"You always did place a special importance on that word." Tsudon mused. "Are nakama really that important to you?"

"Of course!" Suki replied heatedly. "Those who don't take care of their nakama are worse than trash!"

Kakashi frowned slightly, the phrase stirring an unpleasant memory in his mind that he dreamt about every night.

"Humph." Tsudon looked over the crowd of people. "And why are all these people here?"

"They completed your task." Suki said. "Therefore, you must teach them. At least _try._"

"All right." Tsudon said. "But you should get some training in too."

"Mountain climbing, chicken chasing and puppy wrestling!" Suki cheered, almost laughing at the disgusted expression on Daisuke's face.

"You old wrinkle, you really expect us to do all that over again?"

"Young pea, I do." Tsudon smirked at him. "Oh, if only you knew the benefits of repeating your spoiled training."

Suddenly, he cackled. "Onto the work!" Clapping his hands, Tsudon said heartily. "You better all watch your backs, because I am an excellent trickster and pranking is my favorite hobby!"

"His pranks are deadly." Daisuke announced. "One of them was pushing us off the mountain."

Tsudon chuckled fondly, remembering the moment again. "One of my greatest achievements. I had finally gotten rid of you!"

"Damn you, old man."

"Why, thank you." The old man dodged Daisuke's fist. Suki grinned as she watched them.

"I'LL KICK YOUR ASS, TSUDON!"

"I'D LIKE YOU SEE YOU TRY!" Tsudon roared.

Daisuke crouched and swept his leg around in a kick, which Tsudon narrowly avoided getting in his shins.

"Heh, you're so short it amazes me every time." Daisuke chuckled, standing back up. He towered over Tsudon's tiny body.

A vein throbbed in Tsudon's forehead as he charged at Daisuke. Daisuke prepared to counter, lifting a leg in preparation…

Suki suddenly appeared between them, catching Tsudon's fist and Daisuke's leg. Her head hung, hair framing her face. "Stop, both of you." _I. Will. Kick. Your. Asses._

"Don't get in my way, money freak." Tsudon replied. "You still have a long way to go before I'll allow you to stop me."

With a colossal effort, Suki controlled herself and bit back a sharp, nasty reply. Instead, she said, "I'll damn well stop you if I need to. Now pay attention to your guests!"

Tsudon cleared his throat. "Oh, yes. I quite forgot about them." He turned to the bemused group with a beaming smile on his face. "Welcome to my mountain!"

"Now what?" Naruto whispered to Neji. Neji's eye twitched.

"I believe we reply politely." He bowed slightly. "Thank you for inviting us."

Quickly following suite, everyone else did the same.

"It's nice to know this group has manners." Tsudon chuckled. "And they made it up the mountain."

"I'll tell you guys now." Daisuke addressed the lot. "You're not here for a vacation. All of you will endure separate training under Tsudon's apprentices – Suki and I included. We need to whip everyone into shape!"

"Kakashi, please follow me." Suki said, facing the silver-haired Jounin in question. "You will help supervise a group lead by our youngest teacher. She is quite capable, but it's not as if I will make you join the Genin." She laughed. "Still, Tsudon may call on you for something –maybe even errands– so be prepared."

"As you wish, pretty lady." He followed her.

Daisuke's fingers twitched, but he instead used them to beckon some of the Genin. "Right. There are twelve of you, which means four groups. You won't be split back into your cells, this time. Also, my way of picking your groups is different from Suki's. Let's see…Ino, Sasuke, Neji."

The three of them, slightly confused, formed a small group to the left.

"Shikamaru, Lee and Shino." They made a group beside the first one.

"Chouji, Sakura, TenTen." Daisuke grinned slightly at the puzzled faces. "Finally: Hinata, Naruto and Kiba."

"If I may…" Neji spoke up. "Why are we in such strange groups? We aren't grouped for skill, nor compatibility. In fact, most of these people are grouped in ways that they will pick fights with each other."

As if to prove that point, Sasuke sneered slightly at him.

"You've hit the nail on the head." Daisuke smiled. "I've grouped you that way so that you will almost definitely either fight or not know each other. This way, everyone will be forced to find a way to get along, and you'll eventually be able to team up with anyone and complete missions effectively. We can't have you fighting and not completing a mission because you don't get along, right?"

Reluctantly, some of the Genin nodded.

"Now, let's bring in your instructors!" Daisuke said. Tsudon glared at him once more before clapping his hands.

Almost immediately, four teachers walked out of the cave behind Tsudon. They bowed simultaneously, and gave the group friendly smiles.

"Hikari-sensei, introduce yourself please." Said Daisuke, recognizing two of the four faces.

"Nice you meet you all." Hikari said. "I will be the instructor for the first group. I specialize in tactics and planning. I like books, and I am a naturally inventive person so my training methods will not be ordinary!" she winked.

Neji, Sasuke and Ino walked over to her. Hikari lifted a hand in a seal, and all three disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves.

"Er…Kinai-sensei, please introduce yourself too." Daisuke said. _Oh, no…I don't know the other two!_

"As you have just learned, my name is Kinai. To you, I will be Kinai-sensei. I am a Chakra specialist." He noticed as Lee's face fell. "I like oranges, and working hard. Since I enjoy hard work so much, my training methods involve a lot of activity." He enjoyed the look on Shikamaru's face.

As the three walked over to him, Kinai lifted his hand in a seal similar to Hikari's and the four of them were engulfed in a cocoon of water before disappearing.

"I suppose I'll go next, as Daisuke-shi does not know my name." A lazy-looking teacher stepped forward. "To you, I will be Chip-sensei. I specialize in hand-to-hand combat. I like fast things like Suki when she's chasing Tsudon-sensei." This elicited a few chuckles from the remaining people. "Um…My training methods? I get straight to the point, and I won't teach anything unnecessary."

He chose to walk towards his students instead of the other way around, and lifted a hand. That part of the ledge broke off and hovered in the air, before dropping down at a slightly alarming rate.

"U-Um…my name is Hotaru-sensei." The final teacher, a shy-looking girl, stepped forward. "I specialize in spying and evasive tactics. I like quiet places and pretty scenery, so I will probably take you somewhere with those elements to train."

Naruto and Kiba ran towards her. Not to be left behind, Hinata quickly followed. As they reached her, all four vanished in a stream of Sakura petals.

"How do you think they'll do?" Taichi spoke up, his eyes focused on Tsudon.

"I think that the choices that were made were very well-placed." Tsudon said, returning Taichi's gaze.

"I see." Taichi replied carefully. He realized he was treading on very thin ice.

After a couple of moments of silence, Suki returned to the ledge. She stopped and looked at the two of them, before smiling thinly. "Are you two okay?"

As if a string snapped, both of their heads turned towards her. Suki shivered. "A-Am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all." Taichi replied shortly. He gave her a slight smile. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Oh…" She raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't press the subject. "No, it's fine. I'll show you to your cabin. Sorry, you'll be sharing with Daisuke. The Sensei just took their teams to separate dorms."

"Really?" Taichi murmured. "Well, let's go."

* * *

"Welcome to Dusk." A handsome youth with chocolate-brown hair and a bright smile greeted them.

"Wow…" Neji exclaimed quietly. The dorm was dark, but not completely so. There were shades of orange, pink and purple on the bottoms, like a sunset fading into night.

Another boy, with dark hair and even darker eyes, scowled at them. "Don't try anything, because you'll be caught before you do."

The first boy laughed. "Don't mind Kyo. He's always like that."

"I _hate_ strangers." Kyo declared. "But if you do something to prove yourself you'll be able to stop watching your back at Dusk."

"Hn." Sasuke glanced at him, a look of superiority etched on his face.

"So, are these dorms co-ed?" Ino said, peering over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Yes." The first boy replied. "Oh, I'm forgetting my manners." He laughed nervously, a hand reaching unconsciously to tousle his hair. "My name is Akio."

"Nice to meet you." All three instinctively greeted him politely.

Akio did the same. Kyo pushed himself away from the wall and said clearly, "There's no need for formal or polite words here. The only time we ever use formalities is with Sensei or Tsudon-sama. Do not expect us all to be nice to you."

"Ahah, I guess I should explain the dorms and their separate personalities to you." Akio said, grinning apologetically.

"I'll start with Dawn."

* * *

"Welcome to Dawn." A girl with pale blond hair and blue eyes greeted the new group. "My name is Kira. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too." Sakura said. TenTen beamed a smile at Kira.

"We're a group of early risers!" Kira said, returning the smile. "You'll find our dorm getting up at Dawn – hence the name. Actually, sleeping habits also dictate our dorms."

"I don't get up very early." Chouji said, munching on a bag of chips.

"That's okay," Kira replied. "We won't punish you for it. It's just that most people will get up around that time."

"You guys are really nice!" TenTen said. Kira laughed. "Yeah, we're probably second most nice of our four dorms. Day is probably nicest of us all. Anyway, take a look at our dorm! The walls and ceiling usually show our dorm names. Like, for instance, night will have a black ceiling and walls with stars and stuff on them."

Sakura looked around. The walls were pale pink and peach, with hints of purple and fiery red near the floor. There were slight white patches that might have been clouds here and there – but it might just have been a bad paint job.

"It's beautiful." She smiled. The other inhabitants of the dorm beamed at her. One of the said, "I'm glad you think so. We take kindly to those who appreciate the dorm they're placed in."

TenTen placed her bag on the bed Kira showed her to, and sat down on it. As she fingered the sheets, she exclaimed in surprise, "It's so soft!"

"Yes, all of the dorm sheets and pillow cases are made with spider silk. The silk of our spiders, however, is exceptionally strong and easy to wash. It's a real benefit."

"I am _definitely_ going to like it here," said Sakura, giggling with TenTen.

* * *

"Welcome to Night." A boy opened the door, bowing courteously to Shikamaru, Lee and Shino.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru muttered, bowing in return. "We even got assigned dorms."

A girl in the back noticed them and gave the group a polite smile, baring unusually pointed canines before returning to her conversation. The whole dorm seemed to speak in whispers, something Lee was unused to. He did not try to break the slightly tense silence.

"We pride ourselves on courtesy and manners, unlike-" The boy sneered slightly, almost unnoticeably, but his voice betrayed the displeased emotions. "Unlike Dusk."

Shikamaru sensed a deeper dislike for the dorm, and said in very polite Japanese, "We will be sure to be polite, then."

The boy nodded at them, his handsome features clearing. "I welcome you personally, then."

"Did you hear that?" A boy whispered to his female companion. "Shiki-sama welcomed them. We better be polite."

"That's right." Shiki said, turning to the rest of the dorm. They straightened up and listened to him. "All of you better not harm these new people."

The three in question stood slightly awkwardly, suddenly conscious that everyone else in the room was either handsome or beautiful. It wasn't a big deal, but it was still blatantly obvious.

"Um…do we, um, stay here until, uh, someone comes to, uh, get us?" said Shikamaru, stumbling slightly over his words and aware that he was unable to get the sentence out as smoothly as he would have liked.

"Yes." Shiki said. "Someone will be here shortly, don't worry. In the meantime, you can have a look around the room if you'd like."

"Don't make eye contact." Lee whispered to Shikamaru. "They might be vampires."

"D-Don't be ridiculous, Lee." Shikamaru replied. "They couldn't p-possibly be v-vampires."

Shino remained silent, glasses flashing as he examined the room. It had pitch black walls and an also black ceiling. The ceiling and walls had twinkling stars painted on them, and the room had red, velvety chairs and curtains. It was by far the most luxurious room of all, and had an air of sleepiness to it.

At the same time, all of the people were incredibly aware of their surroundings and, really, anything else. They chatted, although not very cheerfully, and their eyes seemed to drift constantly to Shino, Lee and Shikamaru. The three of them were becoming increasingly antsy, feeling eyes on them.

One of the girls sat with her legs crossed in an armchair, swirling a red substance in a wineglass around. "I wonder if Sensei will come get us soon?"

"You should get some sleep." Another girl advised her, smiling slightly. "There's still a long time to wait."

"Maybe they are vampires." Shikamaru suddenly whispered to Lee.

Both of them shifted slightly closer to each other.

* * *

"Heya! Welcome to Days!" Said a girl with a slight lisp. She smiled brightly at Naruto and his group members. "You'll like it here, I bets!"

"Yeah!" Naruto said enthusiastically. "I hope so. Right, Hinata?"

"Y-Yes," the girl whispered. "I hope so too, Naruto-kun."

Kiba eyed Naruto for a moment, before grinning broadly at the girl in front of them. "My name is Inuzuka Kiba. What's yours?"

"Ina Mayumi!" She replied, bouncing on her feet. "Come see ours dorm!"

She dragged the boys behind her, pushing Hinata slightly with the occasional kick in the ankle.

The room was brightly colored with baby blue walls. There was bright yellow in the corners of the walls, imitating the sun. Fluffy, white clouds seemed to breeze lazily around the room on the walls.

"It's a jutsu." Mayumi explained. "When it gets to each dorm's time of day, their walls ands ceiling come alive!"

All of the people in the room were chatting loudly, laughing and playing.

"Our dorms reflect the name's mood, our sleepings habits –most of us sleep in- and sometimes certain aspects of our personalities. We're loud and energetic."

"It fits you, right Naruto?" said Kiba, laughing.

Naruto shoved him playfully. "Shut up."

Hinata smiled. "It's b-beautiful. I like the walls a lot."

Mayumi put an arm around her shoulders in a friendly manner. "I'm glad you think so. I'll show you to your beds."

* * *

"Basically…we may be the rudest and most antisocial of all the dorms," Akio grinned apologetically, "But we're also the most talented by far. Suki-sensei spent most of her time in Dusk, but also spent a few months in Dawn."

"So overall, is this dorm the best one to live in?" Ino asked.

"No, overall I'd say Dawn is best. They're friendly, polite, and not too loud. Also, they come in third in skill. To be honest, Day is last. They have too many loud people who dislike work."

"Hn." Sasuke gave him an unimpressed look. "So what do we do until Sensei arrives?"

Kyo suddenly strode up to him and gave Sasuke an intensely angry look. "Do _not_ disrespect any members of this dorm, _especially not Akio_." He laughed contemptuously. "In any case, I doubt you could beat most of us in a clean fight of skills."

Sasuke calmed himself with an effort, and stonily refused to rise to the bait.

Neji decided to make use of his time and press Akio for information. "So, on average how many techniques does each person have?"

"Well, all of us have at least six basic ones – aside from the ones we learned at the Academy. None of us haven't been ninja before getting here. Individually, we each have at least two personal techniques. People may have tons of others they invented or figured out on their own, but we're taught eight before taking on intensive training. Nobody who lives in Dusk does not undergo intensive training."

Ino looked worried, having heard that. "What…what if someone doesn't make it?"

"Then life here will be hell." Akio said. "I'm sorry, but we just don't properly accept those who are not the best. You should try your best to live up to our expectations."

One of the friendlier girls walked over to Ino and smiled slightly at her. "I'll help you out if you need to pull a late-nighter and catch up. I don't sleep as much as everyone else, because resting my body too much puts me in a bad mood."

"Thanks." Ino said gratefully. "I'll probably need it."

* * *

"Our standards?" Shiki asked in surprise.

"We accept…nothing less than second best, but of course all of us strive to be best and beat Dusk."

"We _will _beat Dusk once and for all." Said a boy in the back. He flashed a grin at Shikamaru. "I heard that you are a genius. Please use your abilities to their fullest."

"Uh…yeah." Shikamaru replied.

"Don't worry." A girl in the back said, almost contemptuously. "If you all push yourselves you may just reach Shiki-sama's standards.

"And if you don't, you may find some people treating you almost badly." Said a boy next to her. Malice laced his voice. "Of course, nobody in Night dorm would ever _think_ of doing anything to you."

"Not while they're protected by Suki-sensei and Daisuke-san." Someone whispered.

"Sensei has arrived." Shiki said softly. He smiled courteously. "Please do your best!"

The door opened, and Kinai's face poked in. "Hello, my new students? Are you still alive in here?"

Shiki raised an eyebrow, a displeased look on his face. "What gave you the idea we would have killed them, Sensei?"

"Oh, nothing, except you guys are a bit like vampires and I was worried you'd suck their blood."

Shiki turned to the Genin. "It's simply because Kinai-sensei was in Day when he was an apprentice, and he's still bitter towards our _noble_ dorm."

Kinai's eyebrow twitched slightly, but with an effort he ignored it. "Let's go, you three. You've got to get acquainted with your 'territory', so to speak, before lessons start."

As they walked, Shikamaru finally asked, "What territory?"

"Every dorm has it's own amount of land." Kinai responded. "And they are allowed to attack anyone from another dorm who enters it. It's how we get in a little extra sparring practice. Also, we identify each other by different uniforms. Each dorm has a uniform, although they're all easy to move around in."

"Is that what everyone was wearing?" Lee said.

"Yes. Also, about your lessons…you get taught at the time of day you Dorm is. You'll be in a class all night long, I'm afraid, while those in Dawn or Dusk get a very small amount of time to study. Any other time is used for sparring and physical things, although at least six hours per day are set aside for real ninja training with weapons, jutsu and martial arts."

"We'll have no time to relax, will we?" Shikamaru moaned.

"We will become stronger Shinobi this way." Shino said quietly. "That is our goal."

* * *

Rather bad ending, wasn't it? I actually really wanted to wrap it up so I'd have something for the next chapter, but I couldn't find a place to stop! Now, I know it a bit much to handle with all of the setting changes and a whole new world, but we'll settle back into a bit of ninja stuff very soon.  
By the way, I'm so glad some people like it! I'd like to thank everyone, even the people who didn't review, for their support.

Okay, when I began writing this chapter I looked back and I was like 'Oh my god, there's no more chapters left!' and I wondered how I was going to stall long enough to get this out. Thank you for waiting. At least the chapters are long, right?


	6. Tools

It's been a while - a really long while, but I came back. Actually, the chapter was going to be much longer, but I couldn't figure out where to break it off so I stopped it abruptly at the best time I could think of. Sorry about that. Also, it's a few pages shorter than I would have liked, but it's still fairly long so I hope you'll forgive me.

**_Warning!: _**I dunno...Just warning you in case something shows up that you don't think is appropriate**_._**

Just needed to let you know so I'm not responsible for it!

**Spoilers: ...I give up. Just keep an eye out for any suspicious material.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Koshimoto does. I also do not own anything else you may recognize as someone else's. (Just in case ;P)**

* * *

"Tsudon-sensei!"

"What is it?" Tsudon turned away from his carving to see Suki looking at him. She was on her knees and had a pleading look in her eyes.

"Teach me something new that will save us all." She said quietly.

Tsudon snorted. "Make something up yourself. As if I'd help you!"

"Tsudon-sensei!" Suki said, shocked. "How could you say something like that?"

"Go to the cave…you know which one. I'm sure you'll come up with something there."

"Tsudon-sensei…please?"

"GO!" Tsudon suddenly said. "You don't have that much time left; I can feel it somehow."

Suki frowned at him slightly, a slightly desperate look in her eyes. "If that's what it takes…I'll go."

* * *

"Stupid bird!" Daisuke exclaimed in frustration. Taichi watched him quietly, a mocking glint in his eye.

"You really can't get a bird to obey you?"

"Shut up." Daisuke gritted his teeth and muttered a command again. The bird in his palm stayed motionless and silent.

"I didn't know you were so stupid you couldn't animate a frickin clay bird." Taichi chuckled. "I mean, I knew you were a dumbass, but I didn't know it was this bad."

"I said, shut the hell up." Daisuke said. He injected a small amount of chakra into the bird, closed his eyes, and murmured a slightly different command.

After a moment, his eyes opened wide in panic. "Oh, no, I said the wrong command…"

"What now?" Taichi said impatiently. The small bird on his shoulder fluttered its wings in a reflection of his emotions.

"I…um, I called Tirai."

"Oh, _great._" Taichi sighed. He stood up and whistled. A wolf slunk around the corner, watching him through slightly yellowed eyes.

"Please, stop that overgrown bird from destroying this place."

The wolf began to run, paws thumping on the rock. Daisuke sighed. "Damn birds."

He patiently tried the correct command. After a couple of seconds, the clay bird expanded and flapped its wings. Daisuke grinned. "_Finally._ I was beginning to think it would never work."

"Let's just get out of here. I was tricked into helping out near the aviary by one of those apprentices."

"Hah. I'm helping out with the wolves."

"…Trade?"

"Not a chance."

* * *

"Ugh." Shikamaru flopped onto the grass. "This is so troublesome."

"Come, my friend! You must try harder!" Lee panted, still standing on the river.

Shino nodded slightly. He was doing best of the three in the exercise.

"Oh, come on Shikamaru!" Kinai said. "Look, I just asked to you to smooth a bit of the river and stand on it! Shino's got it, and I'm sure you can!"

"I know what to do." Shikamaru grumbled, pushing himself up. "I just…It's so much _effort_."

"You will never make it through this war without the mentality of a Shinobi." Shino said. His part of the river was mostly calm, with slight waves.

"Yes, and without the effort you will be unable to surpass your peers!" Lee said. He had managed to tap into a bit of chakra, with the help of the entire group of senior apprentices and sensei. While managing to stay on top of the water, Lee was having a tough time keeping his balance on the rough, dangerous surface of the river.

"I don't need to surpass them." Shikamaru grumbled, gathering his chakra again. "I don't even mind being left behind. I would rather a nice, quiet communication job or cloud watching."

"You could become a weatherman, for all I care!" Kinai laughed. "I've never had much of a head for those things. But right now, I have to teach you. Get back on that river!"

"It's been four hours! Do you people ever give up?"

* * *

Hikari stared disdainfully at her three apprentices. "Please tell me you can solve a simple puzzle."

Neji showed her his best glare, and rearranged the pieces of the puzzle so that all but five pieces were in the correct places. "What happens when we solve the puzzle?"

"Do we get prizes!?" Ino asked. Sometimes, Asuma would take her team out for lunch if they worked hard.

"No, no prizes." Hikari said. "I'll ease up a bit and do something fun, though."

"That's no good," Ino pouted. She glanced down at her puzzle, which only had two pieces properly fitted together. She glanced at Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun will want to do something tough, not fun. He won't participate."

"I agree." Neji said. "It's no good. I'd rather a good spar with you, Hikari-sensei."

"Okay," Hikari agreed easily. "I'd like to learn a bit about the _Jyuuken_ style, too."

As for Sasuke…he was just barely halfway through his puzzle.

Gritting their teeth, the three Genin began to work on their puzzles again.

* * *

"Developing the body is the key to perfect combat." Chip stared at the motley trio of half-energized Genin. "If you can't manage this exercise…you really won't survive a war all the way through. I'm sure Iwagakure has much more to throw against you."

"But…" Sakura panted. "This is unfair!"

"You wouldn't learn anything less under Tsunade!" He shot back. "I've heard about your abilities from Suki-san. If you can't manage this, she can't train you."

Gritting her teeth, TenTen managed to complete the task. She fell to the floor, panting. "I specialize in ranged combat, but even Lee would know this is ridiculous!"

Chip grinned at her. "Nothing's ridiculous if you believe you can do it."

TenTen glared at the boulder she had lifted up and carried up a cliff. "It's no good. I try my best…but this is something I'll never be good at."

"Look," Chip said comfortingly. "At least you're ahead of your teammates. That must say something about your ability."

Chouji looked a little downcast, but suddenly heaved his boulder up in a spout of determination. "I-Can-Do-This!" He managed to stay on his feat, shoulders heaving as he gulped air.

"Good job!" Chip said.

"I'm always last…" Sakura moaned. She felt resentment and anger welling up inside her, and used that enormous irritation to almost throw her boulder up the cliff.

Everyone was silent for a moment. "…I wouldn't want to get on _your_ bad side." Chip finally choked out, torn between laughter and amazement. "Uh…nice work, everyone. You can take a break, I guess."

TenTen sighed. "This is going to be hell."

"The teamwork exercises start in a couple of days." Chip retorted. "I wonder how you'll survive _that._"

* * *

"Huh?" Naruto blinked. He was caught in an extensive net of very thin strings, and couldn't free himself. The clearing, aside from the sounds of his teammates and sensei, was totally silent.

"You got caught." Hotaru said. "T-This is what I warned you about." She grinned. "If you pay attention, you'll do as Hinata-chan does."

"Hinata-chan?" He looked at the slight girl, who was carefully stepping over and under the wires. She froze like a deer in headlights, a light blush covering her cheeks, before turning away and continuing to move.

Kiba was similarly caught, but he was doing a better job of untangling himself. "It's not that tough to get out, but I have no patience for this!" He tried to rip his way through."

Hotaru walked up to him and poked him on the forehead. "That's no good. These wires won't break. You were doing a good job of untangling yourself."

"I guess, for once, blindly charging through won't work?" Naruto cracked a smile.

"Hm…I suppose not." Hotaru replied. "But you should never think it will, seeing as I specialize in stealth."

"This sucks." Naruto groaned. "I'm no good at staying quiet and moving carefully."

"_That's _why you're working on it!" Hotaru said. She gave him an approving glance. "At least you understand." She giggled. "I remember, when I was an apprentice with Daisuke-san and Suki…"

All three Genin stopped moving and listened eagerly to the story.

"Suki loved this sort of thing. She hates brute force, so she trained with me a lot. Daisuke-san, on the other hand, was terrible at stealth. He would get caught all the time. Oh, it was so funny when they were teamed up!

'Daisuke,' Suki would say. 'Please at least try to beat Hotaru, even if you can't.' And he would get so angry! Daisuke always failed the tests because he would grow impatient and try to rip his way out of everything. I don't know why, but together they still make a very good team despite their inability to cooperate sometimes."

"Sounds a bit like Sasuke and Naruto." Kiba said. Naruto snorted.

"That bastard? No way! He's so pompous!" Naruto ground his teeth. "I really want to bash his head in one day. Maybe Suki-sensei could fix him up."

"Suki would make an excellent medic-nin." Hotaru interrupted. "But somehow…" she smiled sadly. "Her body and mind belongs on the battlefield, her heart with her team. Her spirit is too strong-willed to stay in a hospital and not know what's going on, even if there is great pain to be learned with freedom."

Naruto and Kiba untangled themselves and joined Hinata. Hotaru flashed them a brilliant smile. "Now I suppose it's time to send you out into the field."

* * *

Suki glanced around the dark, damp cave. It reeked of wet clay and mold. "I hate this place." She announced.

__

Hate this place…

Hate this place…

Hate…place…

Hate…

Hate….

The echo was eerie and faded quickly. Suki shivered as a sudden chilly breeze swept through the dank cave.

As she wandered further into the cave, the sense of cold grew deeper, seeping into her bones and creating an uncomfortable feeling of restlessness. There were no bats in the cave, or any type of life aside from some withering, blackened plants. Suki was filled with a sense of unease, despite the knowledge that nothing would seriously harm her.

Finally, she reached the bottom of the cave. There was a tiny stone basin there, and strange markings on the walls. Suki recognized a few as jutsu markings, and a few symbols from everyone who had been inside the cave. She saw her own marking, a paw print. Running her fingers over the indented shape in the wall, she felt a spark of courage and approached the basin.

There was nothing inside it. Suki noticed that the runes engraved on the inside were damp with moisture, probably from the cold, yet humid air in the cave.

__

Drip…

Drip…

Drip…

Suki raised one hand to her face, index and middle finger pointing up while the other fingers were folded. The side of her index finger brushed her nose as she gathered a large amount of chakra, channeling it into her finger.

Slowly, she brushed her finger across the slimy runes. They slid easily under her fingers and as she passed them they began to glow.

Once the whole basin was lit, Suki exhaled slowly and lowered her head into the empty basin.

Although certain there was nothing there, it was like dunking her face into freezing cold water. Suki gasped, but no water filled her lungs. Her vision darkened, swirling into blackness as everything but a pair of eyes faded from her mind…

* * *

"Nnnh…" Daisuke lay spread-eagle on the ground, eyes closed. "Maybe I should have switched jobs with you.

"Pfft. You wouldn't have wanted my job." Taichi replied. He was standing in the stream, bare-chested as he washed out his shirt. "Goddamn birds."

Daisuke turned his head and chuckled softly. "Neither of us had an easy time. It's just like Tsudon to do this…work us all to the bone and send us back to the war like the living dead."

"Should we go find Suki?" Taichi stretched, climbing out of the water.

"No." Daisuke said immediately. "If Tsudon has her doing something, then he won't want us to interfere. It's easier to just wait. Suki knows the mountain like the back of her hand, so she can find us when she wants to."

"Yeah." Taichi sat down on a rock, leaning his elbows on his knees and letting his hands dangle. His head was bowed, water dripping onto the ground from his hair.

"Daisuke-san! Daisuke-san!" A young boy ran towards them, panting.

"Ah…what is it?" Daisuke scrambled into a sitting position.

"Kyo-senpai is having a fight again!"

"With who?"

"Ano…Shiki-senpai." The boy said timidly. "I was told to inform Suki-san, but I couldn't find her."

"That's okay." Daisuke stood up. "I'll take care of it. Show me where."

The boy bowed and started running, Daisuke following behind with long, easy strides.

Taichi watched them go from behind a screen of dark hair. His golden eyes glowed with slight worry. _Suki…where are you?_

* * *

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" A circle of bystanders watched as the two boys circled each other, faces contorted in rage.

"How _dare_ you insult Night's standards." Shiki spat. "Your dorm has no right!"

"No _right?_" Kyo snarled. "We have beaten you! Even when bested in a fight, you have the audacity to insult our dorm leader!?"

"Kyo…" Akio whispered. "Don't do this."

"Shiki-sama!" A girl cried. "Beat him!" A chorus of agreement followed.

"What's going on here?" Daisuke made his way through the crowd angrily, and shoved the boys away from each other. Holding up a hand, he formed a seal for a jutsu. Immediately, vines sprouted from the ground, grabbing at their hands and rendering them incapable of forming jutsu.

"We do _not_ fight outside of sparring sessions watched by instructors." Daisuke said. "If you want to have such a fight, notify a teacher so that things don't get out of hand! I will not allow a fight to the death!

"HE insulted my dorm's pride!" both boys said simultaneously. They glared at each other.

Daisuke almost grinned. "You still shouldn't be fighting like this. Settle your argument like civilized beings, not like rabid animals."

Kyo threw a fearsome look at Shiki. "We'll settle this later."

Shiki responded with a cool glance. "Sure, anytime." He turned on his heel and walked away.

Kyo stared after him for a moment before abruptly walking in the opposite direction.

Akio watched him go, his brow creased in a frown. He barely twitched when Daisuke moved to stand behind him.

"He always does this…" Akio murmured. "He'll pick a fight if someone says something bad about our dorm, even if he gets in trouble. Kyo's so impulsive."

"Sounds like a really loyal guy." Daisuke said quietly. "If a foolish one."

"Yeah." Akio sighed. "He's honorable, too, but sometimes his emotions get in the way."

"He'll never make a good ninja." Said a girl beside them contemptuously. "Nobody like him ever will."

"Nobody like you ever will, either." A voice said. "Not if you continue to say things about people stronger than you. He might have friends in high places."

"Do you _always_ have to show up?" Daisuke complained. "It's annoying."

Taichi grinned. "I had nothing better to do, although I dare say something will come up."

Daisuke heaved a sigh. "Well…All that's left is to wait for Suki. We'll probably end up leaving in a few days."

"Why?" Taichi asked.

"I don't know, I just have a feeling. I do know for sure that we'll get an interesting send-off. I wouldn't be surprised if we got pushed off the mountain again."

"You have to keep bringing that up, don't you?"

"Maybe." Daisuke winked. "But we've learnt a lot."

Akio glanced up at Daisuke. "Will you ever be coming back?"

"I don't know. Maybe." Daisuke put a hand on Akio's head, ruffling his hair.

"If you need us, we'll support you." Akio said suddenly. "I'll come if no one else does. I have to thank you for breaking up that fight…it could have really gotten out of hand."

"You'll repay him with your life?" Taichi snorted. "What a foolish notion. It isn't an equal trade."

_And yet, somehow, I understand…_

* * *

"Have any of you learned anything?" Tsudon said loudly. He glanced at the arriving Suki. "I hope you didn't have the same experience as last time."

She panted, leaning over to catch her breath. "It was very much different, thank you."

"So, what are you going to do after this?" Chip asked. He was standing some distance away with the other sensei. "Going back to war?"

"I was thinking of visiting Raike-sensei." Said Taichi thoughtfully. "But I wanted to take Suki and maybe Daisuke with me. It is not really a place suitable for these Genin." His eyes darkened.

"That reminds me," Suki said abruptly. "Once we get back to Konoha, all of you should be promoted to Chuunin, if not Jounin."

"Really?" Naruto exclaimed. "Yes!" He jumped in the air, yelling like an idiot.

Neji restrained a smile. "All of us have progressed that far?"

"Of course." Suki said. "It's impossible-"

"It's impossible for you to spend any lengthy amount of time on my mountain without going up at least one rank." Tsudon interrupted her.

"That's not exactly what I was going to say." Suki murmured. _It's impossible for any of these Genin to stay the same, considering their potential. Especially Team 7, Team Gai, Shikamaru, Shino and Hinata._

"Well?" Daisuke said. "Where's the trick? The horrible send-off?"

"Be patient, and all the answers will come to you." Tsudon said, chuckling.

After a moment, Kiba commented, "I don't see anything hap-"

The ground collapsed under their feet, leaving a long and twisty hole underneath everybody.

"Have fun!" Tsudon called down the hole.

"DAMN IT, TSUDON!" Daisuke roared, trying to right himself in the air as he free fell.  


* * *

"I told you this would happen!" Suki shouted. "Just try and get your feet on a surface. If you attach yourself with chakra, it should be possible to hold on."

"No time for that!" Taichi shouted. "We're going so fast, it would just break our ankles!" He flipped over and touched his feet to the side of the tunnel. "Just slide down…like a toboggan!"

"A what?" Naruto yelled.

"Nevermind, just copy Taichi!" Daisuke said. He was trying to turn, but failing miserably. "Any idea how to get upright?"

Suki grabbed his and Neji's hands, pulling them with her as she landed on the tunnel floor.

"It's begun to slope a little more slowly." She commented. "It's taking longer than just falling, though."

"He's a crazy sensei." Neji said. "How did you put up with this?"

"These tricks are just a series of tests." Suki explained. "This one is testing our reasoning and balance. Also, watching out expressions makes him laugh, with his sick sense of humor."

"The bastard will get it from me next time."

"Assuming he lives that long." Suki said softly. She jumped to avoid a rock jutting out of the floor and continued her slippery descent. "Tsudon's pretty old now, Daisuke. He's been training apprentices since he was a little older than these kids."

"I wouldn't forgive him if he died before I beat him for this." Daisuke said loudly. "He won't die. Tsudon is one of those annoying people who won't give up and die; he'll be there until nobody wants him."

"That'll never happen." Suki said. "But I get your point."

"There's a light." Shikamaru yelled, sliding past them at an alarming rate. "We're almost out."

"Everybody try and stop!" Suki said suddenly. They complied, using chakra to slow their progress and finally stop.

Slowly, she edged towards the end, peeking out. "I knew it."

The ground fell away sharply, giving way to the cliffside. "After all of that, we're still in the mountain. You would've fallen to your death, Shikamaru." Carefully, she tested the winds. "I should be able to carry us down."

Moving her hands in a circular motion, Suki summoned a large platform of wind. "Everybody get on, I won't be able to hold it for a very long time. It will be enough to get us to the bottom, but I'd rather not test it further than that."

They floated to the bottom like leaves, as the wind carrying them proved to be slightly turbulent.

"Can you guys make it back?" Suki asked. "I mean, you have Kakashi-san with you."

"We'll manage." Kakashi said. "In the meantime, pretty lady, I suggest you finish up whatever business you have left with this Raike and hurry back, because peace does not last long."

"I guess we'll just hope it's a cold war until we get back." Taichi said shortly. "Goodbye, Kakashi-san."

"Bye everyone!" Suki waved. A flurry of waves and various good-byes followed her as she left.

Taichi stopped after they were out of sight. "I should warn you guys. Raike-sensei has an…unusual attitude towards people."

"Unusual?" Daisuke asked, his curiosity sparked.

"Yes, dumbass." Taichi said patiently. Ignoring the scowl he received, he continued. "He doesn't like people. I've never seen him act sociable, not even around his own students. It's not that he's unkind, but…" Taichi trailed off. He shook his head to clear it and said "We better hurry."

At that moment, a dog came running to them.

"It's one of Kakashi's nin-dogs." Suki murmured, as she knelt beside it. "It has a message."

"Well?" Daisuke said impatiently. "What does it say?"

"We're to return to the village for preparation to enter war again."

"How long will this go on!?" Daisuke raged immediately. "Why do they feel the need to war with us?"

"It's foolishness." Taichi said softly. "But we're the tools they will use to wage this war."

Much as she hated to admit it, Suki knew Taichi was right. "We better head back."

* * *

It ended a little unexpectedly (at least to me), but that's it. Just a little filler to get us back on track with the war and everything...but it had a little bit of info. I bet you're wondering what that power Suki gained is, huh? I'm not telling for at least a few more chapters!  
By the way, my new breaks are a lot more effective, aren't they?  
Why yes, I do stall a lot.  
Storms


	7. Moving Forward

**Important: **The POV changes very often here, but they're not necessarily at different times. If there's nothing suggesting it's a different time, then assume that it's happening at the same time. For instance, the first seven POV are happening simultaneously.

While I was writing this chapter, all I could think of was pointless little conversations and scenes…I had to keep deleting and re-writing until I could think up something that satisfied me…  
I hope you'll all read up on your floriography, or else you won't understand a certain scene. It's not totally important, but you'll get a pleasant extra if you do understand!  
One last thing: The war will soon end (since you guys deserve a change of scenery), but the story will continue, because I'm going to introduce a new villain-type thingy (great way to describe it, huh?) So don't assume it's over. It's not over until I put a 'completed' on it, dammit!  
By the way, thanks for sticking it out until 100 pages! ^^

I upped the rating to 'M' because it was getting to be a little too much...maybe it was just me? It still doesn't hurt to be safe.

**_Warning!: _**Um...Brutality, I guess? And language popping up randomly. **Character deaths **(Nothing too bad, I guess? Still, you might recognise a few...)Just needed to let you know so I'm not responsible for it!

**Spoilers:** ...I give up. Just keep an eye out for any suspicious material.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does. I also do not own anything else you may recognize as someone else's. (Just in case ;P) **I do, however, own Tsudon, Iwasaki Sukiko, Kazunari Daisuke and Sentou Taichi. And the other random OC's popping up. Don't steal them, but I might lend them out if you ask.

* * *

It was cold, Naruto knew that much. It was cold, and he'd be damned if he could do anything about it. None of the Shinobi were willing to light fires, or do anything that had even a minimal chance of attracting the attention of an enemy.

He wasn't sure why he was picked for this team. It was a recon team, and required the ability to sit still and remain undetected by the enemy. Shino was there too, and for good reason, but Naruto was a loudmouth who couldn't sit still (according to Sakura). He would probably ruin their chances of success.

"Okay, here's the plan." The ninja in charge of their team, a special Jounin, whispered. "Uzumaki, you have to create a distraction. A subtle one, as if you didn't suspect anyone there. Maybe make a fire to warm yourself like you wanted, but draw all the ninja in the area to you and fight them off. Aburame-kun will wait here and back you up if needed."

Naruto was reassured by the fact that Shino would be backup. He had never failed Naruto before, and was always logical in his solutions to defeating the enemy. Aside from the words Naruto could not understand, they got along very well when discussing battle plans.

"Understood." The two replied, and Naruto flashed into the clearing nearby. Finally, warmth would be his! He considered cackling, and let himself do so. After all, the plan was to attract everyone's attention.

Once the fire was made and he was settled comfortably, Naruto made it a point to stretch lazily and lie on the ground, looking as unaware as possible. "There's nobody here, so I'll be fine!" he said loudly, smiling. He knew he was laying it on a little thick, but it never hurt to be sure.

A rustle in the bushes caught his attention, but he pretended to ignore it. Then he noticed the bug on his sleeve and smirked. Everything was definitely under control.

He didn't even need to look up to know that, the screaming was enough.

* * *

"Crap."

It was all the girl could do to stop herself from uttering another, much worse expletive.

Why was she always the one stuck with the more disgusting and dangerous missions?

_It could be worse_, she tried to tell herself, but could it really be worse than crawling through the muddy slush in a ditch on the front lines to find a fallen comrade?

TenTen didn't think so.

Her heart nearly stopped for a moment; the wounded boy looked a lot like Kiba. Recently, all the 'Konoha 12' (as they had been dubbed) had grown very close-knit, and looked out for each other. Despite being a year older, TenTen still cared about her friends.

She sighed in relief when she realized it wasn't Kiba or anyone she knew, then called for a medic.

In less than five minutes, she was on her hands and knees, throwing up. A flash of revulsion and hot guilt overcame her; since when could she feel relieved when someone was dying?

A girl approached her, helping her up. "Are you okay?" she asked timidly. TenTen felt another stab of disgust, not directed at herself this time, when she realized there were people younger than herself out here fighting, risking their lives and being prepared to die before even having their first date.

Neither had she, TenTen thought wryly with a slight grimace. What had she been doing these past few years?

"Ano…" With a guilty start, TenTen realized that the girl had been waiting for a response.

"I'm fine." TenTen muttered, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. She'd have to get out of this alive.

Then she needed to find a date.

* * *

"Please…save me…" Sasuke looked on impassively as his opponent clawed at the avenger's feet. He felt a twinge of pity, but not much sympathy. It was his opponent's fault for trying to fight him, after all.

He turned to leave, pausing only to shake the twelve-year-olds hands from his ankles as they clutched him in a feeble last attempt to take him down.

* * *

Neji was not at all pleased with his situation. "Listen up, you twerps-"

"Neji!" Lee scolded him. "You will put out the fires of their youth if you speak to them in such a manner."

Neji tried his best not to roll his eyes as he looked at the assortment of brats in front of him. They were all fresh out of the academy – some still enrolled – and looked up at him in a way that suggested they didn't understand anything he said.

He was only glad his smart-mouthed cousin, Hanabi, was not among his group.

"Okay, okay." He shot a glare at the snickering Chuunin in the corner, who was having his arm wrapped up. The laughter was cut short as the medic-nin tugged sharply on the bandage.

"You kids are going to keep watch and make sure nobody suspicious gets into the village. If you see someone who looks like he wants to kill anybody, then scream bloody murder and wait for a Jounin to come save you."

Lee didn't look satisfied with the way Neji had put it, but couldn't think of a better way to phrase it and kept silent.

"I'm choosing some of you to go with Lee to the hospital, and you'll help out there. Try not to annoy the medic-nin." He shuddered. "Especially not Tsunade-sama or Haruno Sakura."

He picked out the smarter-looking kids. It was pretty tough, considering none of them looked that bright, but when he faced that problem he just picked the ones who kept their mouths shut. Ugh, was he really that stupid-looking when he was their age?

Neji hated kids. It was obvious to anyone, so he didn't really know why he was picked for this job. Ino should have been doing it; she was a social person. Maybe this was just some sick form of torture, but he was doing his job.

"Good work, Hyuuga-san." The Jounin tried not to laugh, but a chuckle escaped him. Neji shot him a death glare before saying stiffly, "What's next?"

"Guard the nursery, please."

Before he knew it, there was a kunai to his throat. "Give me another job, or you die."

Suddenly, the Jounin didn't feel like laughing anymore.

* * *

It was a little tough to deal with. Sakura blinked as another wounded man was brought in, and could only be glad that none of her friends had been brought in.

"Sakura-san!" A young woman with a harassed look on her face called out. "A man is missing two of his limbs, and the healers aren't entirely sure how to treat him!"

Such incompetence, Sakura thought to herself. With a weary sigh, she lifted her aching body from the chair she was in. Her muscles groaned in protest, a testament to her busyness.

"I'll tend to this one, but call Minamo-kun for the next critical patient." The boy was a prodigy, and Sakura wished selfishly that he could take over some of the work. She was developing a raging headache, and suddenly the thought of working through the night seemed less appealing.

Hopefully things would settle into another cold war.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata felt like she was going to pass out from exhaustion.

She hadn't slept for two days. Yesterday, she had been pulled from the battlefield to help work on paperwork.

Pfft, they probably picked her because they thought she was weaker than everyone else. Sub-consciously, she gripped the brush even more tightly.

Shikamaru was helping her out by filing the paperwork in his spare time. He didn't have much time to relax, seeing as he helped come up with some of the battle plans, so his help was doubly appreciated.

Her mind had slowed to a snail-like pace, and Hinata tried her best not to blink. Her eyes watered, but she was sure that if she closed her eyes for even a few seconds she would fall asleep. Her hand was tired and cramped, and the writing was slow. So slow, the ink from the previous kanji nearly dried before she finished the one after it.

Hinata was dimly aware that she could ask for a break, but that would mean some other poor Shinobi got stuck with her job. Naruto-kun might be disappointed too. Well, that's a blatant lie, Hinata thought to herself, but she used it anyway as motivation to keep working. It was worth it if she could lessen Hokage-sama's massive workload. Even if it meant there were piles of paperwork all over her tiny office.

The more she looked at it, the more Hinata realized her office was not tiny at all. There was just so much paperwork that she was boxed into a tiny space, maybe less than a fifth of the original space. She took a deep breath.

Now, where could she find some coffee…?

* * *

Ino was pretty sure something was wrong with this picture.

She had been unloading supplies for hours, and her arms were aching. Recently, she had received word that Chouji and some other people would come and help her out.

Why, then, were they lying unconscious on the ground?

"Chouji!" Ino shook him, even going so far as to call him fat. He continued to lie there peacefully, blissfully unaware of his surroundings. Ino started to worry if he was dead.

Someone came up to her and took a look at them before chuckling softly. "They're asleep. No wonder, everyone's exhausted. Give 'em a few hours."

Thankfully, all the supplies were unloaded by now and she had some free time until the next shipment. Making herself comfortable, Ino settled down to wait.

A little rest never hurt anyone, right?

* * *

"Kazunari!"

Daisuke turned around, grinning innocently. "Yes?"

"E-Explain…" he spluttered, enraged. "Explain _this!_" he waved his hand, indicating the area around them.

"Taichou…It's exactly what it looks like."

"But _why? How?_" the harassed ANBU captain gave him a tired stare, unwilling to put up with this…this nonsense.

"I thought it was a good idea." Daisuke smiled. "All of them fell for it, and now we have prisoners."

It was beyond the poor man's ability to figure out why all of those ninja were hanging upside down from ropes and none of them could free themselves.

Kazunari really is scary, he thought with a shudder. Then he went to fetch Ibiki.

The ANBU captain was not surprised when Ibiki flinched slightly at the treatment the Iwagakure ninja had received and how they had reacted.

Make that Kazunari-_san_.

* * *

_Some time later..._

"It stings!" Taichi pulled back his arm, staring at the offending bottle. "What are you doing?"

"Look, I'm trying to clean the wound." Daisuke sighed. "Now calm down or I'll pour the entire bottle of Iodine on your arm."

"Daisuke-san." A boy said quietly. Daisuke looked up to face him.

"What is it?"

"You're using too much Iodine. That's why the wound stings so badly." His eyes laughed, but his expression was gentle and serious. "I'll treat it, if you'd like." He offered, holding out a hand.

Gratefully, Daisuke handed over the equipment. "I've never had the patience to be gentle when doing this stuff."

"I noticed." Taichi snarled. His arm was on fire. "Even with such a small cut."

"It's not small!" a child helping out in the tent was trying to avoid looking over at them. "There's blood everywhere!" he exclaimed.

"Poor kid…" said the boy treating Daisuke. "What'll he do when he realizes that even shallow wounds can bleed this much?"

"Look, just get me out of here." Taichi ordered. "I don't care to learn about all this medical stuff."

He swore when the Iodine touched his arm again.

* * *

Suki breathed in slowly, enjoying the tangy smell of autumn. It always reminded her of cinnamon and chestnuts.

She drew in a sharp breath at the sight of a young girl lying motionless on the ground. She couldn't have been much older than the Konoha 9, and her lovely face was contorted in pain. Suki dimly recognized her as a member of the Yamanaka family, a relative but not a sister of Ino.

"Tea roses and sweet peas." The girl gasped, before controlling her breath. "Ino will know."

Suki nodded, stroking the girl's soft hair. There was no point in taking her back to the medical tents and placing her among the wounded; she would be dead in a few minutes anyway.

When her last breath faded, Suki lifted the frail girl in her arms to be taken to the burial grounds. Her name would not be carved in the memorial stone, but neither would it be forgotten forever.

It was then that Suki finally left for the village.

* * *

_A few weeks later_

"Ah, Suki-chan!" Yamanaka Chiyo, Ino's mother, greeted the ninja cheerfully.

Suki offered her a weak smile in return. "Chiyo-san. Congratulations." She winced, as she knew it didn't sound heartfelt, but it was all she could muster at this time.

Chiyo played dumb. "What for?"

"Your daughter is being promoted to Jounin with her companions." She tried to make her voice sound lighter. "Neji will be pleased to have comrades of the same rank as himself."

"Yes, I'm sure he will." Chiyo brushed off the small talk. "So, have you come for the same flowers as always?"

"Yes, I suppose." Suki placed a few coins on the table. "Thank you for doing me this favour."

Chiyo smiled at her and slid the flowers across the table with a wink.

"Cheer up, my shop needs to maintain a peaceful image in these troubling times."

"I'm sorry," Suki said quietly. "I'll be back next year. Maybe sooner."

* * *

"Gomen, Sensei." Suki placed the flowers near the memorial stone, aware of the fresh carvings on it. "I couldn't come any sooner. Still, I made it in time. It's still your birthday."

"You came, too." She heard a gentle voice behind her, followed by another, slightly deeper one. "We wouldn't miss it for anything."

Taichi and Daisuke joined her by the stone, quietly mourning the loss of their teacher before following up with the happiest news they could find. His birthday always used to be a time for celebration and the tradition continued even without his physical presence.

"Ne, sensei, Yuuhi-san had her child." Daisuke said softly. He didn't mention that she was a single mother now, and struggled slightly with the workload. Chiyo often took up babysitting, and joked that she was glad Ino was now gone.

"Ickle Anko has a boyfriend, too, although he's a few years her senior." Taichi smirked. "Kotetsu lost his bet, so you know it isn't Kakashi."

"Who would've guessed they'd end up together?" Daisuke murmured. "But I suppose in a way it makes sense, that Ibiki would get a girl as crazy as him."

"I've gotten a new position," Suki murmured. "For the time being, I will pose as a hunter-nin, until further notice. I guess I'll give up my white cloak."

"Trust Suki to get all the exciting, complex jobs. She sounds so impressive." Taichi snorted. "I'm keeping my cloak, but it is bleached white. I have finally received my own squadron, although the price I had to pay for it was knowing the previous captain." He inclined his head in a moment of silence. "I hope to see his name on this stone, as he was a very brave man." He didn't mention that the man had died with hatred in his eyes, blaming Taichi for some unknown reason.

"I'm stuck being the lowest rank." Daisuke murmured. "But it's okay. I help around with whatever's necessary, despite being an ANBU like the others. I feel a sense of unease at the sudden and frequent cold wars between the fighting, but it will all work out for the best. That's what you always told us, sensei, despite how much we complained about D-rank and C-rank missions…sometimes I miss being a Genin." He smiled wistfully. "The Genin these past few years have had anything but a good time, and most have garnered their experience through real battle, rather than training."

There were, in truth, no more Genin. The rank didn't hold much sway in the first place, and the top academy students held the same amount of respect as those who had been Genin for a year. They were complimented on their excellent fighting style, or reprimanded for a lack of work. The only ranks that mattered were the high ones.

Suki bowed to the stone. "I'll see you in a few months, sensei. I hope that wherever you are now, you are keeping good health."

The three of them turned away from the cold obelisk, refusing to turn around again. It was the same every year, and meeting their Sensei was a tradition Suki clung to.

She looked up at the men beside her, eyes softening. Their faces remained unmarked, for the most part, by physical scars, but the sorrow ran deep in their blood. The past few months, especially, had changed them. The war was taking a turn for the worse.

Suki had not escaped without a few of her own scars, a few on her back and one or two on her arms and legs. She had a small one near her temple, but it was fading quickly and in a few weeks would be unnoticeable.

A Tokubetsu Jounin jumped from the trees, startling the three ninja. "There's been – been a break-in…near the most southern…most southern district." The Jounin gasped. "You need to go – go help out. There are only Genin there."

In a flash, Taichi had left them. Suki gave the messenger a curt nod before following suit.

* * *

_Damn kids…_ Taichi, like Neji, was known to dislike children. It was not to the same extent, but he avoided them if he could help it.

He blocked a stab at his chest with a kunai, before using that same knife to pierce his opponent's lungs. "Die, bastard!"

The Genin watched in frightened silence, and Taichi wondered absently if they had ever seen anybody fight.

"Taichi." A soft voice drew his attention. He saw Suki land gracefully on the ground beside him. "I take it everything is under control here?"

_She puts up such a professional front when she's near subordinates…_ He nodded. Suki bent to check the bodies. "We should take them to the medic-nin…a strain of the Sharingan was discovered in one of our opponents."

"What?" He inhaled sharply. That was impossible.

"It was very subtle, but had similar effects to the Sharingan. The opponent could differentiate illusion from reality, and understand what was in our techniques. He couldn't copy them, however, nor use the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"It's still a little worrying." Taichi mumbled. "I'll take them…I saw someone earlier…Go south, I think you'll find his body a few minutes away from here."

"Yes, I've heard." Her tone became a little heavier. "It was Kyoei."

Taichi didn't recognize the name, but nodded anyway. After all, he died for Konoha, so he's couldn't have been a bad guy.

"I'm sorry." Taichi blurted automatically. "You two were close?"

Suki nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. She willed them not to spill out, raising her head to look at the sky in an effort not to cry. "We worked together a lot. He always-" Her voice cracked a little in spite of herself. "He always tried to be cheerful, and was optimistic about ending the war…"

"We all have to try and believe that." Taichi drew a little closer to her, but refrained from tactile contact. "You can't let it get to you, Suki."

_Everything that comes out of my mouth sounds so wrong…_Taichi cursed himself for being unable to phrase it better.

Suki blinked hard and offered him a watery smile. "Yeah…I'll go collect his body." She turned to leave.

"Suki?"

"…Yeah?" The response was soft.

"His name will go on the memorial stone."

"…Yeah." It was even softer now, but with a hint of contentment. "Taichi?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

* * *

The war was steadily getting worse, but it seemed that both sides were fighting with the last of their forces. Many had died, and Konoha had very small ranks. The ANBU had the most members, and at best they had two thirds of the original amount. Many people suspected that it would soon be closer to a half.

The Hokage was getting desperate.

"We need to end this _now._" Tsunade growled, glancing around the table at the terse faces. She had practically given up sake during the war, and it was getting to her. "Konoha won't survive much longer, and we're not sure how many more Iwa Nin there are."

"They must be close to the end, too!" someone objected indignantly. "It's impossible that they have so many more ninja than us, especially when we always have the most ninja in the Chuunin exams, and often in the Jounin exams."

"We don't know for sure." Tsunade insisted. "What if they made an alliance with somebody? Suna is willing to help us out, but I'd rather not trouble Gaara with this. Not when he's so preoccupied in getting the village to accept him."

For a moment, the tension was lessened as Shikamaru said, "I hear they're doing pretty well. Most of the village loves Gaara, and he's much less…uh…murderous, for lack of a better word."

"Yeah, but now that we have _those three_ back, I don't want to ask for more help." Tsunade almost dared somebody to contradict her.

Predictably, the youngest at the table took the bait. "Why are they so special?" Udon asked. (A/N: Yes, it is Udon from the Konohamaru Corps. Don't ask me why.)

"Suki told me that her sensei pledged support if it gets any worse. That's enough for now." Tsunade didn't look entirely convinced herself, but everybody let it slide for now.

A messenger burst through the door. He stopped short, looking stricken at interrupting the meeting, before bowing as low as his spine would let him. "I'm sorry, but I have an important message from the Earth land's Daimyo!"

Everyone waited in silence, breathing forgotten.

"He says that Iwagakure is going to unveil their secret weapon, the most powerful allies! He also mentioned that they are not from another hidden village, nor any country we know of!"

"How is that possible?" Tsunade asked, her words clipped with fury. "How…is…that…possible!?"

"There's nobody else to make alliances with!" Shikamaru exclaimed, totally alert for once. He thought fleetingly that maybe caffeine wasn't such a good idea. "Unless they made an alliance with Kami-sama himself!"

There was a silence.

"Don't tell me we're actually considering that." Tsunade groaned.  


* * *

_Two days later_

The attack happened when nobody was prepared for it.

Everyone was tense, expecting a surprise attack. It wasn't until it happened that they realized nobody was really _prepared_ for it.

The ground rumbled ominously throughout Konoha. The ninja patrolling streets felt it, as did the villagers and even the Shinobi positioned in the woods surrounding the village.

The sky was gray and overcast, but there was no promise of a storm. The unusual damp coldness added to this was enough to cast a gloom over all the ninja.

It was absolutely miserable, Daisuke concluded, but at least his old team was together. The _First Division_ was gathered around them, but they went by a different name.

Team _Expeditor_. Every single ANBU division and individual group had been given new code names. It was suspected that Iwagakure had figured out their teams.

"How they figured it out is beyond me." Daisuke said aloud. "I mean, do they really think the enemy can remember these things?"

"Everything is taken into account during a war." Taichi said. "The smallest things could spell out defeat or victory, so they will remember anything. That is why we must be so careful with what we say."

"Well, at least we get a cool name." Daisuke was referring to the three of them: himself, Taichi, and Suki. "As names go, _Mistre_ isn't too bad."

"None of them are real words." Suki mumbled.

She steeled herself for the next part; it was a ritual for big missions, but ANBU codes always unnerved her.

"Okay, _Expeditor_," The name tasted and sounded foul to her, despite what others said. "Shinobi rule 25."

"A Shinobi must never show emotion during a mission." Somebody recited automatically.

"What have we changed it to?"

"A Shinobi must never allow his or her emotions to interfere with a mission. A Shinobi _has_ no emotions, and thus must never be affected by their mission." Everyone chorused the cold chant, and their emotions seemed to disappear little by little with every word.

That was partially ANBU's code. They did not have emotions. There were no weaknesses to interfere with their jobs. Shinobi were tools and tools only. They were to be disposed of the instance their usefulness expired, and must expect nothing more.

When you entered ANBU, it was like giving up your life and existence. Precious few people remembered who you were outside of ANBU, and so when you died – not if, _when_ – you would not be missed. Nobody in ANBU would miss you, because that would defy the code.

Your real emotions did not matter anymore, so what was there to do but discard them?

This was what made Suki so hesitant about joining ANBU again. It disgusted her vaguely, but she knew that the effect had already taken place. Regardless of what you wished, your emotions were _stolen_ from you when you accepted that you were part of ANBU.

That was what allowed her to slip into her mask so easily, and to forget all of the pitiful weakness she had shown so recently. It would all be forgotten, erased when she died, or when she killed others.

She was brought back to reality with a jerk as she realized her thoughts were echoed by the chant raised from her division.

Suki slid the Wolf mask onto her face, simultaneously using her other hand to detach her staff from her back.

"Just…come back alive, everyone."

With that, they left.

* * *

"It's getting colder," Suki observed quietly. "I wonder if it'll snow soon?"

"I doubt it." Taichi replied, if only to break the gloomy silence surrounding them. "It's mid-autumn."

A snap echoed across the clearing and they tensed for a moment. After a while, Daisuke relaxed. "It's a tanuki."

Taichi twitched slightly. "I guess this it's a little early. Prepare yourselves." He stood up, muscles flexing and protesting slightly after crouching for so long.

Daisuke groaned quietly, as his body was not quite as forgiving. "Maa…we win, or we lose. It's that simple." As the creature burst from the ground, he leapt at it with no concern or restraint.

* * *

"Iwasaki-san!" A voice crackled over the transmitter attached to her neck. "What are these things?"

"Um…" She took a good look at the one in front of her, from the gleaming yellow eyes to the webbed feet with claws jutting out of the ankles. "I, uh, really have no idea."

"Ano…do you know how to kill them?"

"That's easy!" She had a wicked gleam in her eye.

"You just lop their heads off."

* * *

Taichi remained silent for a moment. He gathered his composure, before asking, "What the hell!?"

The _thing_ – he couldn't really tell if it was a boy or a girl, but settled on male for the moment – shrugged. "Dude…I dunno either. One minute I swear I was high," he giggled (Taichi lost some doubts about the truth of that statement) and paused for a moment. "I swear I was high, and then all of a sudden I'm sitting on this thing with a pointy stick in my hand!" He brandished the spear clumsily.

Taichi remained silent. _What to do…They didn't train us for these kind of situations!_

Suddenly the spear righted itself in the boy's hand, and he slipped off the bird-like creature. A manic sparkle in his eye told Taichi that he wasn't really high anymore.

"You know," the boy commented casually, giggling slightly. "I think I remember how to do this!"

_Screw that,_ Taichi parried the spear. _He's batshit insane!_

"I'm having fun," The boy commented casually, beginning to pant. "What about you?"

"Fuck you," Taichi swore. "You're going to hell!"

"Really?" The boy giggled again. "I'll take you with me! The name's Akihiko."

"Taichi." He forced the word out of his mouth, teeth gritted. "Sorry, but it's going to be a solo trip." He slashed at the boy without thinking.

"Aw, the fun's over. Better stop talking to you or I might regret this!" Akihiko giggled again, before he flashed out of sight.

_Eh?_ Taichi only had time to turn his torso, parrying the strike reflexively. He jumped back, wanting a better look at what happened.

Akihiko looked more or less the same, but the look in his eyes had changed. It was no longer crazy.

They were the eyes of a killer.

Taichi had seen eyes like that all the time, but something about finding them on a young boy struck a chord within him. It was almost like seeing himself again…

He brushed off the feeling. Acting on instinct, he ran the blade through the boy without a second thought, not even pausing to wonder why it was so easy.

* * *

"What did you see?" Suki asked urgently. She ran through the trees at top speed, following the irregular bursts of chakra she had sensed. They were large, but had no particular pattern. That worried her.

_"I'm telling you, he was just insane! Nothing else special about him…aside from that shitty creature he was riding."_ Taichi's voiced crackled in her ear, a hint of irritation revealed.

"Are you sure?"

_"Well, he was pretty fast…" _There was a pause._ "He was pretty fast, but that's it. It's been taken care of."_

"If you say so." The comment wasn't meant as an insult; Suki honestly meant that if Taichi said it was taken care of, then it was taken care of. "I'm going to go check out this disturbance."

_"I feel it too, but faintly. Do you want me to meet up with you there?"_"No, I'll be fine." Suki took a quick glance around, and a flash of steel in mid-air notified her of a battle nearby. "You probably have enough on your hands where you are."

_"Tell me when it's over._" The headset fizzled into silence, and suddenly Suki was all alone again.

"Honestly…" She muttered to herself. "As if I'm a child." She sped up a little anxiously, sensing the chakra levels rising.

* * *

Suki was speechless. She stared at the…_thing_…in front of her, and completely forgot her strategy.

_Real smart, Suki. Now what?_

It was monstrous. The first thing she could think of was the Kyuubi. It took a step forward, crushing a few trees underfoot, before settling down and yawning. It looked ridiculously like a cat, but not quite.

She felt like a fool, standing there and watching it. The chakra was slightly suffocating, the enormous pressure almost too much for her to handle.

_"Suki! Are you okay?" _The headset crackled into life, and Daisuke's voice was filtered through.

Suki was unable to answer. She wanted to tell him that she was fine, but a voice in the back of her head told her that standing there helplessly was _not_ fine.

_"Suki!"_ His voice propelled her body into action.

She wasn't quite sure what happened next. When the cat-like thing made its move, her body reacted even as her mind shut off. She relied on pure reflexes.

In a burst of speed, Suki leapt out of the way. She let loose as sound resembling a growl, crouched close to the ground. Her eyes darkened to a stormy gray, a tinge of amber leaking outwards from the pupils.

She sprang forward, drawing a kunai and stabbing at whatever she could reach, but to no avail. The cat lifted a paw and casually batted her away, letting Suki slam into a tree.

She let out a whimper of pain. The burning sensation reminded her of who she was. Wordlessly, she straightened up, drawing her staff. She did not twist it, but left the stick as it was. Turning off the headset, Suki opened her mouth.

"You will not take Konoha from us."

Her fingers formed a seal, even as the tip of the staff burst into flame. She thrust it at the figure, aiming for a spot just above the left eye.

The cat started, and something let out a muffled curse.

_A person is…inside the cat?_ She jabbed a few more times, aiming carefully near that particular spot. The cat dissolved, revealing a man. He clutched his bleeding arm.

"The cat was simply a warning. This whole war joke is. You won't win this. Even if you beat _Iwagakure_," he sneered. "We will come for you again."

"And what should I label this…threat…as?" Suki chose her words carefully.

"Call us…Black Cross." The figure vanished in a swirl of shadows.

Suki extinguished her staff absently, stroking the slightly charred wood. _Black Cross…_

* * *

The battles escalated, before fizzling out. After that particular battle, the Iwa nin seemed to lose their bluster, and their Daimyo hastily called for a treaty. Konoha was reluctant to accept, but the elders and Tsunade agreed for once; uneasy peace was better than war.

"It's…not right." Daisuke spoke up. "It doesn't feel like peace. I feel no relief or happiness from this pact."

"Aa." Taichi glanced at the cautious villagers. Although the Shinobi had protected and shielded them from the worst of the fighting, the odd enemy had slipped through their defenses. The villagers were aware that they were in danger, and still reacted accordingly despite the lack of threats. Their jumpy demeanor disturbed him greatly.

Suki didn't speak, but instead watched the grief-stricken families surrounding the memorial stone. There was no space left, and names were scrawled on surrounding trees and rocks as well.

Ino was their with her family, mourning a few cousins and her father. Shikamaru was there as well, supporting Chouji as he placed flowers close to a relative's name.

Naruto was absent, as well as Sasuke and Sakura. Many Hyuuga were present, but there was a slight sense of relief that their cruel clan head was gone. Neji would be taking his place.

Shino and his father Shibi stood blankly in front of an engraved name. There were tears leaking down Shino's face, the most emotion ever seen from him in a rare display of grief for his mother. Kiba was beside him, kneeling in front of a distant relative's name.

"Let's go." Suki spoke softly, averting her eyes. It felt like trespassing, watching somebody's sadness without partaking in the feeling. Like a outsider witnessing something sacred and forbidden.

They passed the ANBU headquarters and headed for the bridge near the center of Konoha. Kakashi was there, staring quietly into the waters. Iruka stood beside him. Both recalled the loved ones they had lost in the last war.

"Hatake, Iruka." Taichi passed them, refusing to look at the two men. Daisuke echoed the greeting, but Suki joined the two leaning on the railing.

"Kakashi…" She leaned slightly towards him, without making contact. Instead, she stole a glance at Iruka. "Umino-san, there's no need to reflect on the past and regret what has happened. Instead, look forward and help your students through their newfound losses."

It was not a speech Suki had made up herself. The ANBU commander had said the same thing to her when members of Suki's team had died.

Iruka didn't reply, and Suki didn't press the matter. She pushed herself off the railing gracefully, rejoining Taichi and Daisuke.

"I'm worried for them." Suki said softly.

"They'll be okay." Daisuke's emerald eyes stared at her, and their depth struck Suki. "We'll all be okay."

"He's right, for once." Taichi didn't look down, his pace not slowing a bit. His jaw was set and clenched. "We'll survive as long as we keep moving forward."

* * *

I needed to clear up EVEN MORE THINGS...phew, what a lot of holes I found!  
Let's start with a few stats: Suki, Daisuke and Taichi are 31 years old now (This all started when they were 29, in fact), and the war has been going on a couple of years...The Genin are 14 (Rookie Nine) and 15 (Team Gai). Well, now I decided it was high time they became Jounin, so I did it!

I did, in fact, alter the history slightly so I could deviate from the plot and keep all the characters: The Chuunin exam incident has occurred (meaning Gaara is not completely bloodthirsty anymore) but I wanted Sasuke around...I'm giving him a chance to redeem himself in this fic and giving him his pre-Chuunin Exam personality. Sort of.

I know I implied pairings in the first few scenes, but they're not by any means the real pairings! There is no NaruShino (although I'm not against shonen-ai, there are precious few good ones that won't interfere right now.), there is no ShikaHina, there is no TenKiba, there is no NejiLee, there is no InoChou (but I might change my mind about that one). Those are FRIENDSHIP pairs...no romance for them as of yet.

Neji will be alone, and Shino will be alone. No question about that.

If these changes conflict with the plot in previous chapters in any way, refer to the rules above. Ignore what I wrote before...--' Sorry.

XD I've decided who Suki will fall in love with, but you'll have to agonize for at least a few more chapters before the conclusion. It does not mean the story is over, merely one of the questions has been resolved.

**If the page breaks were messed up, I'm sorry! There was a lot of editing I had to do with this chapter. If the scene changes really suddenly and the characters are different, please **use your common sense and **assume there's a page break missing.**


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